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Read the Open Access Article Publishing at UBC report online now

An mostly blue illustration of an open book with the UBC Library logo in a solid rectangle footer at below

UBC Library’s Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office has released a report that dives into open access publishing trends at UBC  Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.

Open access publishing is an alternative academic publishing model that provides no cost, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research, unlike traditional scholarly publishing, where payment for access is required. Open access leads to research that is cited more quickly and more often. It accelerates the rate of scholarly exchange and promotes better reproducibility of research results.

This two-page report aims to increase transparency around financial conditions for open access article publishing and highlight the impact of publisher negotiations on open access at UBC Vancouver and Okanagan campuses . The data for this report focuses on the 2023/2024 fiscal year April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, and a report for the 2024/2025 fiscal year is already in the works.

Read the report

Lost access to UN Comtrade

Subscription access currently not working. Free access only. Eresources is investigating!

https://resources.library.ubc.ca/page.php?details=united-nations-commodity-trade-statistics-database&id=482

Open Access Article Publishing at UBC: Annual Report

Open Access Article Publishing at UBC: Annual Report

2023/2024

The Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office has released the 2023/24 Open Access Article Publishing at UBC Report. This report provides an overview of yearly open access (OA) article publishing trends at UBC and seeks to increase transparency around financial conditions for OA article publishing, and to highlight the impact of publisher negotiations on OA at UBC. For more information, or to share feedback please contact scholarly.communications@ubc.ca.

Mental Health Awareness Display in the Law Library

UBC Library supports Canadian research data discovery in European open scholarship platform

UBC Library supports Canadian research data discovery in European open scholarship platform

UBC Library has added a new research platform, OpenAIRE, to its suite of data discovery systems, making Canadian research data more accessible to scholars in the European Union.

OpenAIRE is a European platform and not-for-profit organisation that supports open scholarship by providing the infrastructure to accumulate, store and link open research from all disciplines.

“OpenAIRE is the EU’s Google Scholar for research objects. It allows researchers in the European Union to see a variety of scholarly outputs, including grants, datasets, articles, books and more,” says Eugene Barsky, Research Data Management Librarian at Koerner Library, who completed this project as part of his sabbatical.

Collaborating with the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (the Alliance), UBC Library has enhanced the Lunaris platform, Canada’s national discovery service for multidisciplinary data, for research data discovery in OpenAIRE under the FAIR principles. Through Lunaris, information about UBC research data—in the form of metadata records—is brought together in a centralized repository, known as a metadata store. These collected metadata records are then made available in different formats, which are used by various discovery services, such as ProQuest, Google Data, DataOne, the US National Library of Medicine, and now EU’s OpenAIRE.

By making research data available in this way, through a single repository and in multiple metadata formats, UBC research reaches a wider audience globally.

“If you have any partner organizations, or know of any disciplinary databases or researchers who want to access more Canadian research data, now we have a way to give them this type of access,” says Barsky. “And scholarly partners, like OpenAIRE, can acquire that metadata in the formats they need for interoperability.”

In simpler terms, interoperability means that different research platforms and systems can easily share, read, and use the same data—no extra work or reformatting required.

There are also plans in the works to add additional enhancements, says Barsky, like map search capabilities: “Our next step is to make Canadian research data accessible to the world in a geospatial format, in addition to other metadata standards.”

“You Got to Speak Your Mind”: The 1960’s Berkeley Protests

In the 1960’s, tensions around free speech, civil rights, and the Vietnam War were growing at the University of California, Berkeley. Students were organizing politically and becoming increasingly emboldened in their expressions of outrage through civil disobedience. The 1960’s Berkeley protests represented the largest organized student demonstrations to date, drawing unprecedented numbers, producing tangible results, and laying the groundwork for university protest movements to come.

In this week’s post, we explore the 1960’s Berkeley protests alongside the Berkeley 1968-1973 Poster Collection. These posters were originally donated in 1979 by Helmut Jung of Gold River, BC and are available through UBC’s Open Collections.

“Don’t Mourn: Organize Toward a Joyous Future” (Creator Unknown)

The posters originate from the University of California, Berkeley and surrounding areas, and were produced on a variety of paper types, including computer paper, poster paper, and cardboard paper. They are eye-catching and evocative, and give the viewer a glimpse into the political tension and tumult of the era from the perspective of activist groups and political organizers.

“Unite Against the War” (Creator Unknown)

The posters in this collection vary in style: some are hand drawn and illustrative, while others employ collage and include photographic elements. Many use provocative language to emphasize their creator’s frustration, while others promote pacifistic messages of peace. These posters, however, all have one thing in common: they are fascinating time capsules of the countercultural political ideals from this particular era, and some might even feel relevant in current political climate.

“Did We Really Come in Peace for All Mankind?” (Creator: Robin Temaiana Repp)

History of Protest at University of California, Berkeley

The political demonstrations that occurred on and around the University of California’s Berkeley campus in the 1960’s took different approaches and had varying goals. The largest and most influential of these demonstrations was the Free Speech Movement, a months-long political action that began in September 1964. The Free Speech Movement was catalyzed by a campus-wide ban on political organizing, and culminated in a jaw-dropping 32-hour non-violent human blockade around a police car.

The posters in the Berkeley Poster Collection were created a few years after the Free Speech Movement, and so do not speak to the movement directly. However, they draw upon the very principles the movement aimed to defend, urging the viewer to exercise their freedom of speech and “speak out” against injustice.

“Speak Out” (Creator Unknown)

Many of the political protests during this time centered around the Vietnam War. “Stop the Draft” Week in 1967 attempted to disrupt the conscription process, while the Vietnam Day Committee organized many anti-war marches throughout the late 1960’s.

“Unity in Our Love of Man” (Creator Unknown)

We see this resistance to the Vietnam War represented in many of the posters in the collection, demonstrating broader anti-war sentiments as well as more nuanced critiques. Common themes include military disengagement, criticism of President Nixon, and sympathy for Vietnamese civilians.

“Security is a Silent Majority” (Creator Unknown)

The Berkeley Posters, Then and Now

Though it’s now decades later, we see some of these posters’ themes—dissatisfaction with the president, threats to democracy, American military intervention—represented in current political discourse. This collection’s significance is twofold: it illuminates the political ideals of its era, while highlighting the perseverance of some of those same political ideals today.

“War No More” (Creator Unknown)

Perhaps these similarities reveal a cynical truth: that we, as a society, have allowed history to repeat itself. But they also remind us of the power of the common people, and of their resilience in continuing to fight against systemic injustice. And while it may seem trite, the overwhelming number of posters within the Berkeley Poster Collection that simply call for peace remind us that the human desire for peace is timeless and enduring. This quest for peace, while ongoing, is not a fool’s errand. Rather, it is a legacy left by those who fought for justice before us, and one that we must continue to pursue.

“Let There Be Peace and Let it Begin With Me” (Creator: Robin Temaiana Repp)

 

Lost access to ProQuest’s Music Periodicals Database

We’ve lost access to ProQuest’s Music Periodicals Database and the journals included in there.

eResources is investigating!

2025 UBC Undergraduate Prize in Library Research award ceremony

Ridhwanlai Badmos, Ciara Albrecht, Ethan Lui, Joshua Bransford and Sophie Pavey with Dr. Susan E. Parker, University Librarian.

Ridhwanlai Badmos, Ciara Albrecht, Ethan Lui, Joshua Bransford and Sophie Pavey with Dr. Susan E. Parker, University Librarian.

On May 6, winners of the 2025 UBC Undergraduate Prize in Library Research celebrated their awards with family, faculty, donors and other members of the UBC community. The event was hosted by Dr. Susan E. Parker who was joined by other speakers including Dr. Sabina Magliocco, Professor, Sociocultural Anthropology.

“This year, we received a diverse array of research statements from students across many UBC faculties. We were thrilled by the quality of applications, and in fact, received far more strong submissions than we are able to honour here today. This will be the first year that we are able to award five prizes” says Dr. Parker.

Joshua Bransford, Sophie Pavey, Ciara Albrecht, Ethan Lui and Ridhwanlai Badmos speaking about their projects.

Joshua Bransford, Sophie Pavey, Ciara Albrecht, Ethan Lui and Ridhwanlai Badmos speaking about their projects.

This year’s winners include:

  • Joshua Bransford, 5th year Faculty of Arts student, won a $3,000 prize for his reflective statement on his project, “The Neoliberal Production of Urban Space and Urban Subjects in India and Bolivia.”
  • Sophie Pavey, 4th year Faculty of Arts student, won a $2,000 prize for her reflective statement on her project, “Cosmographia.”
  • Ciara Albrecht, 4th year Faculty of Arts student, won a $2,000 prize for her reflective statement on her project, “A Memory of Skin and Bone: Lace as a Lifeline in Nineteenth Century Ireland.”
  • Ethan Lui, 4th year Faculty of Arts student, won a $1,500 prize for his reflective statement on his project, “Conflict, Cruelty, and Concern: Exploring the Negative Reactions to Vesalius’ ‘On the Fabric of the Human Body.’”
  • Ridhwanlai Badmos, 2nd year Faculty of Science student, won a $1,500 prize for his reflective statement on his project, “Investigating Suicide Rates Across Demographic Subgroups in the Muslim American Community Using Technical Frameworks.”

Students and their instructors provided short presentations about their projects, highlighting their effective and innovative use of library services, information experts and resources provided by UBC Library. The ceremony was followed by a reception for guests to meet the winners and learn more about their projects.

Guests meeting the winners and asking them questions about their project.

Guests meeting the winners and asking them questions about their project.

Congratulations to Joshua, Sophie, Ciara, Ethan and Ridhwanlai!

Learn more about the UBC Undergraduate Prize in Library Research and how you can apply for the 2026 prize.

Experience Kōdō: The Way of Japanese Incense

This May, we are honoured to welcome special guests from Japan for a weekend of public incense gatherings and lectures on Japanese incense tradition at the University of British Columbia. The program will provide a rich experience of incense culture with an array of activities focused around a special keynote lecture and symposium on Friday, May 23, and public incense gatherings on Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25.

This program is presented by the Dōjin Japanese Arts Society in partnership with UBC Library, UBC Department of Asian Studies, and Nitobe Memorial Garden.

Symposium to include:

  • Keynote Lecture by Master NISHIGIWA Jhōyo, Headmaster Designate of the Senzan Goryū School of Incense Tradition, Kyoto
  • Lecture “A History of Incense in Japan – From the Heian Period to Oda Nobunaga” by YANO Tamaki, Professor Emeritus, Dōshisha University, Kyoto
  • Lecture “Incense Woods and Incense Utensils Inherited by the Owari Tokugawa Family” by YOTSUTSUJI Hideki, Curator Emeritus, The Tokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya
  • Special viewing of Edo-period materials from the UBC Library Rare Books and Special Collections

Public Incense Experience to include:

  • 1 Incense session set in the traditional tearoom in Nitobe Memorial Garden featuring a single special incense (meikōgiki 名香聞)
  • 1 Incense session held ryūrei 立礼 style (seated at long tables) in the Asian Centre consisting of an exercise in discerning among several different woods in a seasonally themed scent-matching game (kumikō 組香)
  • Guided tours of Nitobe Memorial Garden
  • Matcha tea service
  • Educational exhibits and demonstrations


SYMPOSIUM

Date: Friday May 23, 2025
Time: 1:00 – 5:00 pm, preview of Rare Books and Special Collections from 12:00-1:00 pm
Location: Peña Room 301, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, UBC
Fee: Free to the public
Registration is required.

PUBLIC INCENSE CEREMONIES

Dates: Saturday May 24 & Sunday May 25, 2025
Session Times: 10:00 am & 1:00 pm
Location: UBC Asian Centre & Nitobe Memorial Garden
Fee: $95
Registration is required.

For full program details and links to registration, please visit the official event page: https://www.dojinarts.org/experience-kodo-event-page