Canadian Literature at RBSC
UBC's Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) Library collects rare and historically significant Canadian literature which is available for you to view and read. Overall, the main focus of our collecting is the province of British Columbia; expanding to the national context, we collect early imprints of Canadian books as well as those which are rare or irreplaceable, of aesthetic importance, or by their nature may be subject to loss or damage.
Our Collections
- British Columbia and Canadian Literature20,000 books & periodicals of authors and publishers from British Columbia and across Canada. It includes a significant collection of literary magazines including British Columbia magazines and most of the important Canadian titles.
- Primary Sources for Canadian Literature at RBSCDescriptions and digitized materials related to our collections of published materials generated by Canadian and British Columbia authors and publishers.
- A.M. Pound Collection
Alfred Myrick Pound (1869-1932), member of the Canadian Authors' Association, the Vancouver Poetry Society, and the Vagabond Club, held one of the best private literary collections in Canada. Featuring the works of his friends, Bliss Carman, and Sir Charles G. Roberts, as well as Annie Charlotte Dalton, Isabel Ecclestone MacKay, and Robert Allison Hood. Collection includes books, pamphlets, essays, and poetry - many of them autographed.Photo: Bliss Carman holding Isabel Eastman, 1922. UBC Archives Photograph Collection
- Robie Reid CollectionRobie Lewis Reid was one of the founders of the Vancouver Little Theatre Association and served on the Vancouver Public Library Board. This collection consists of Pre-WWII Canadian Literature, and forms part of the larger Howay-Reid Collection at RBSC.
- Ethel Wilson CollectionEthel Wilson (1888-1980) wrote her first novel, Hetty Dorval in 1947. RBSC has a small collection of the works of Ethel Wilson with a complimentary array of works about her, as well as the Ethel Wilson Manuscription Collection.
- Malcolm Lowry Collection
The Malcolm Lowry Collection includes works by Malcolm Lowry (1909-1957) in various editions and translations, as well as critical and biographical works. This collection is an adjunct to the library's extensive Lowry manuscript collection.
Photo: Bill New and Anne Yandel look over Malcolm Lowry papers purchased by the library, 1984. Information Services fonds.
Digital Collections at UBC Library
- BC Historical BooksThe goal of the BC Historical Books project is to build a single searchable database of the bibliography of British Columbia based on full-text searchable versions of the books contained therein. The result will allow scholars, students and the public unparalleled access to knowledge about our province.
Related UBC Library Research Guides
Additional Resources
- Canadian Literature CentreUniversity of Alberta
- The Canadian Literature ArchiveUniversity of Manitoba
- The Association of British Columbia Book PublishersThe Association of Book Publishers of BC (ABPBC) is a provincial association of BC owned and controlled book publishing companies. The ABPBC works to support the long-term health and success of the Canadian-owned book industry in British Columbia.
- BC Book PrizesThe BC Book Prizes, established in 1985, celebrate the achievements of British Columbia writers and publishers.