Research Guides: Climate Change: Non-traditional resources at the Library

Non-traditional resources at UBC Library

Below you will find resources and events that support sustainability on campus. UBC Library provides a variety of resources for borrowing and reuse beyond traditional research and multi-media publications. Sharing and using resources together is key to sustainability and supporting each other.

Faculty and Staff at UBC Library are also involved in other work that supports sustainability in areas such as academic air travel and climate action in libraries. For reusable resources and links to similar work see Library Sector Resources.

Technology borrowing

UBC Library has a range of technologies and supplies that are available for borrowing and use by the UBC community. For the most up-to-date information on what we offer, see the UBC Library website, the Chapman Learning Commons, and the Research Commons.

Office supplies
Office supplies like printers, staplers, hole punches, paper cutters, scissors, etc. are all available to use at various Library branches.
Computer Workstations and Software
Access a variety of computers, keyboards, screen displays, and specialized software in-person or remotely through UBC Library.
Technology Borrowing
Borrow laptops, chargers, cameras and tripods, projectors and displays, headphones, recording equipment, DVD players, and more.
Light Therapy Lamps
Study with a light therapy lamp at Woodward Library or BMB Library
Pianos
Pianos are available for in-library usage at a number of branches.
Chapman Learning Commons - Equipment
Check out some of the offerings from the Chapman Learning Commons, including microphones and recording devices, iPads, Media Studio and Recording Spaces, NeuroTool kits, and more.
Research Commons
The Research Commons provides support and resources related to digital scholarship, data analysis, citation management, and GIS.

Kits, seeds, games, and more

You can find kits, seeds, games, and other materials across UBC Library branches. Visit in person and ask for kits or special displays and collections.

To search for kits, search UBC Library using the Summon search and select the Content Type filter for Kits. You can begin by searching “kit” or try a more specific term for what you are interested in such as, "Metis", "textile", or "robotic". You can further refine by Library location if you are looking for materials from a particular branch.

Seed Lending Library
The Seed Lending Library allows anyone to "borrow" and "return" seeds free of charge, and provides opportunities to learn about gardening, seed saving, and agricultural research and teaching at UBC.
Textile Mending Collection
Borrow books on mending textiles as well as our Textile Mending Kits, which can help you get started mending your own textiles.
Games collection
Borrow lego kits, Phylo playing cards, and the Pacific Northwest Plant Identification Cards at Woodward Library. Lego and puzzles are also available for in-library use.

Events and initiatives

UBC Library regularly hosts and participates in events and initiatives to support sustainability and climate justice on campus.

See our Events Calendar to find upcoming events and check back often!

UBC Library Events and Initiatives:

Open for Climate
Repair Cafes and pop up events (timing varies)
Climate Action Week (November)
UBC Climate Emergency Week (November)
Science Literacy Week (September)

Select resources

slippages
Web exhibition featuring the work, inspiration, and background behind Deborah Caruthers' graphic score, "slippages" as well as materials from the UBC Library’s Canadian Women Composers Archive Collection (CWCAC).
In 2017, multidisciplinary artist, Deborah Carruthers, served as the inaugural Artist in Residence at the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, University of British Columbia (UBC). Carruthers teamed up with science researchers at the institution as well as the UBC School of Music to create an interdisciplinary work combining sound, science, and visual art for the purposes of increasing public awareness of the climate crisis and inciting action.

The Tree and the Trees: Climate Justice and Air Travel Culture Change at UBC - Hosted by UBC Sustainability on 26 Sept 2022

-- Arshia Uppal, Elizabeth Stevenson, Mathew Vis-Dunbar, Gavin Esdale

Climate Research Made Real: Practical Applications of Research for Better Futures - recording of panel hosted by L#CAT on March 25, 2021

-- Kathryn Harrison, Amanda Giang, Maggie Low, and Rita Wong