Using the Archives
OSC & A manages and stewards numerous distinct repositories with a combined aim of documenting the campus, the Okanagan area, and the broader context of southern interior of BC, including the Shuswap, Similkameen, Boundary, Kootenay, Columbia, Thompson, and Nicola regions.
Our collections include archival records, photographs, audio-visual, and ephemera as well as published works of and about our geography of focus.
Themes of subject coverage include UBCO campus history, environment, agriculture, arts and culture, the BC wine industry, and Indigenous knowledge.
Located in COM 004 on the lower level of The Commons adjacent to the D. Ross Fitzpatrick Great Hall. Our collections are available to everyone within the UBC Community and beyond.
Materials in OSC are rare, unique and must be handled with care. Our space has enhanced security and a dedicated reading space for researcher convenience.
Coming with a team? Contact us to make a group booking.
Our Welcome Package will tell you how to prepare and what to expect.
Access UBCO’s microfilm collection at the OSC Service Desk’s SL1000 Digital scanner.
Microfilm/microfiche borrowed through DocDel and ILL can be viewed here as well.
Contact us for an orientation to the machine, or drop in during our open hours.
For access to the collection, box retrieval, or advanced research help, please use our online booking system to Make an Appointment.
Don’t see a time that works? E-mail us to book an appointment!
View our Research Guide.
If you require advanced research help, or are not sure what you’re looking for, contact our Archivist.
Images of resources in copyright may be captured on a personal device under the fair dealing exception of the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), please capture OSC’s usage tag in the image frame.
Okanagan Special Collections and Archives offers digital reproductions of images and/or materials within our collections. To request a reproduction, please fill out a Service Request Form.
OSC & A offers employment opportunities to UBCO students and students pursuing degrees in archival and library studies at other Universities. Active job postings can be found on Symplicity. All inquiries can be directed to osc-contact@lists.ubc.ca.
Our Collections
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Our archival collections contain personal papers, business records, photographs and audio-visual materials. Archival materials are often unique in context and unpublished. Descriptions of processed archives are available in our AtoM database.
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Our bibliographic holdings include books of all genres, serials/periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets and other ephemera as well as published audio-visual materials.
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Consisting of over 250 items, the Baird Bowering Collection is made special by its particular provenance, and its inclusion of rare literary ephemera, compelling marginalia, and a number of intimate inserts including notes and photographs.
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Okanagan Special Collections and Archives works closely with UBC Okanagan’s Records Management team to ensure historically significant records are transferred to the archives. Descriptions of processed archives are available in our AtoM database.
The campus history of the UBC Vancouver is housed at UBC University Archives.
British Columbia Regional Digitized History (BCRDH)
UBC Okanagan Library prioritizes cultivating spaces and collections in the context of its position within the campus, and the broader community.
Departing from these values, Okanagan Special Collections and Archives has partnered with over 50 regional museums and archives to create an integrated, cross-searchable repository of digitized archives
Contact Us
For general inquiries about Okanagan Special Collections and Archives, or if you have materials you’d like to donate, please email us at osc-contact@lists.ubc.ca.