Preamble

The printed and manuscript holdings of Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) at the University of British Columbia Library are the largest collection of British Columbia material in any academic library. As such they constitute a major repository of the memory and historical experience of the people of British Columbia. The foundation of the collection is marked by two great cornerstones: the donations of Frederic William Howay (1867-1943) and Dr. Robie Lewis Reid (1866-1945). Other major collections include English and children's literature, maps, and Canadian history and literature. For over 60 years the faculty, librarians and students of UBC, with the generous help of the public, have built this collection.

A. Support for Academic Programmes

RBSC at UBC Library has responsibility for the selection, housing, care, conservation, preservation, exhibition and use of materials designated rare or special. RBSC supports a wide range of studies in the arts, humanities and social sciences. The RBSC manuscript collections differ from those of the University Archives (UA); UA collects records of the University and its graduates whereas RBSC collects non-UBC material in subjects of interest.

Materials are collected that have long-term research interest, possess unique physical characteristics, are fundamental works in a collected area of study, or are rare. Of the two categories - rare books and special collections - rare books are books that are hard to find, rare, old, or very expensive; Special collections are made up of material that may not be rare, but, when assembled as a group, provide special insight into their subjects.

RBSC preserves these materials in a secure and climate controlled environment to ensure their continuing utility over generations of users. RBSC offers public services including a reading room, seminar room, publications and finding aids, photocopying and digitising services, exhibitions and a web site to highlight and encourage use of the collections by scholars and citizens.

B. Locations

Rare books and special collections are located at three major sites: the Rare Books and Special Collections area of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, the Memorial Room of Woodward Library and the Asian Library. There are smaller groupings of rare books in the Education, Fine Arts, Law, and Music libraries.

C. Collection Level and Material Types

Established collections are at the level of advanced study. The collections include books, pamphlets, journals, maps and fire insurance plans, manuscripts and archival fonds, audio-visual material, ephemera and realia.

D. Languages

English is the main language of the collection. French, Latin, Greek, Italian, Russian, Chinese and Spanish as well as a number of B.C. aboriginal languages also frequently appear in the collection.

E. Collections Profile

The main focus of current collecting is the province of British Columbia including territory formerly claimed by Great Britain (for the period of that claim). Specific interests include exploration and travel, frontier and pioneer life, history, business, labour, literature and the arts, politics, and the different peoples who populate B.C. Also collected are non-B.C. material in existing areas of strength including Canadian history, Canadian and English literature, children's literature, maps and cartography, music, history of science and medicine, Chinese history and literature (in Chinese), and fly fishing. The main collection strengths of UBC Rare Books and Special Collections are as follows:

1. British Columbia and Canadian History

The exploration of the north-west coast of North America. British Columbia. The settlement of western Canada . The fur trade, pre-confederation history, the Northwest Rebellions, the history of Arctic Canada including voyages and the search for Franklin , and the history of the Yukon including the gold rush. The aboriginal, Chinese, Doukhobor and Japanese people in western Canada . Labour unions and politicians. Fishing, forestry, mining and railways, including the Canadian Pacific Railway and the coastwise and trans-pacific shipping of Canadian Pacific Steamships. Canadian bookplates, stamps, coins and trade tokens.

2. Canadian, English and Children's Literature

Canadian Literature with an emphasis on B.C. literature including Malcolm Lowry, Ethel Wilson and many other authors. English Literature with an emphasis on Robert Burns, Victorian poetry and belles-lettres, and the Pre-Raphaelite poets. Children's literature of Canada , the United Kingdom , and the United States of America to 1939 with an emphasis on the books that were read by children. The work of 'Lewis Carroll'. Textbooks used in Canada from the 18 th to the 20 th centuries. English Dictionaries.

3. Cartography and Cartobibliography

Maps of the west of Canada especially B.C. Sea charts of the Pacific Coast of Canada. Maps of French Canada. Maps of the Canadian Arctic . Japanese maps of the Tokugawa era. Maps of the Philippine Islands and Southeast Asia. European maps and atlases from the 16 th century on.

4. Music

Popular music of Canada , the United Kingdom , and the United States of America. The composer Igor Stravinsky.

5. History of Medicine and the Natural Sciences

The history of medicine and the natural sciences, early works on obstetrics and gynaecology. Fly-fishing.

6. Guangdong Province

Books in Chinese on Guangdong Province of China including philology, literature and history.

7. Reference Collection

The reference collection provides bibliographies and other reference materials in support of RBSC collections as well as other materials that explain the development of books and the book-related materials.

F. Budget and Gifts

The collection budget is directed first and foremost to material in various formats on British Columbia and to the Reference Collection. Gifts that enhance the usefulness of the collection are sought for all areas of interest to RBSC.

G. Collection Details

Detailed descriptions of the major print and archival collections in RBSC can be found in UBC Library Rare Books and Special Collections General Guidelines for Collecting and List of Major Collections Print and Archival, available at http://www.library.ubc.ca/spcoll/general.html .

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