Access Issues with AMS (American Mathematical Society) forcing users to login twice

Users trying to access AMS (American Mathematical Society) books or journals are currently being forced to login twice to access content.

After logging in via the library website and landing on the AMS page, AMS will send users to a ‘Access through your institution” page when trying to access full text. If you search for “UBC”  as your institution and login with your CWL you will gain access.

As a direct workaround to access or share an individual title, you can place this URL prefix in front of the AMS URL that you want to access: https://go.openathens.net/redirector/ubc.ca?url=

eResources is working with AMS to get this issue fixed ASAP.

2025 Professional Development Award Recipients

From left to right: Matthew Barrett, Kyra Wheatley, and Aleha McCauley.

UBC Library has two annual professional development awards for its staff, which are the Suzanne Dodson Award and Diana Lukin Johnston Award. UBC Library is pleased to announce that Matthew Barrett, Aleha McCauley and Kyra Wheatley were named this year’s award winners.

The awards were presented during the UBC Library Summer Recognition Awards Ceremony, held on Tuesday, June 10. Congratulations to this year’s professional development award recipients, and thank you to everyone who participated by submitting nominations.

Suzanne Dodson Award – Matthew Barrett

The Suzanne Dodson Award encourages Library Assistants to be at the top of their game and provides professional development funds to support those who demonstrate a commitment to their profession. Matthew Barrett is this year’s recipient and he will be starting his Master of Library and Information Studies degree at the UBC School of Information this September.

Diana Lukin Johnston Award – Aleha McCauley and Kyra Wheatley

The Diana Lukin Johnston Award supports professional development opportunities for librarians, which furthers their internal capacity to grow, explore and flourish. The two recipients for this year are Aleha McCauley and Kyra Wheatley.

Aleha will be participating in the Fostering Change Cohort Program led by the Association of College & Research Libraries, a cohort-based learning experience to equip librarians with the skills needed to lead and sustain transformative change.

Kyra will also be pursuing her Master of Library and Information Studies degree at the UBC School of Information. She is starting this September.

Congratulations to this year’s Professional Development Award Recipients!

Xwi7xwa Library hires first archivist

A photo of the interior of Xwi7xwa Library

When Jesse Carson joined Xwi7xwa Library earlier this year as its first full-time archivist, he was already familiar with some of the challenges—and the stacks of boxes—that awaited him.

Founded in 1993, Xwi7xwa Library was intended as a repository for both published and archival materials related to Indigenous communities external to UBC, as well as individuals and organizations at UBC like the First Nations House of Learning. Over the ensuing decades, these materials have accumulated at the library, but the boxes piled up without a full-time archivist to process them and manage the materials in a holistic way.

Enter the archivist

As Canada’s only Indigenous branch of an academic library, Xwi7xwa is recognized for its innovative services and community impact. In 2023, Julie Mitchell, the Associate University Librarian responsible for Xwi7xwa Library, was able to identify limited term funding for an archivist position at Xwi7xwa Library and successfully advocated for this role to be posted. In 2024, a call went out to fill a new appointment at the library—a two-year term position that would work jointly with the Head of Xwi7xwa Library and the University Archivist.

A photo of Jesse Carson

Photo: Xwi7xwa Archivist, Jesse Carson

The archival collections at Xwi7xwa include materials related to the First Nations House of Learning, the Indigenous Teacher Education Program (NITEP) at UBC, and the history of Xwi7xwa Library itself. Unlike published books, archival materials—such as meeting minutes, photographs, or personal notes—are unique, often irreplaceable, and not usually meant for circulation.

One of the primary concerns with published materials at Xwi7xwa Library is interrogating the source: “There’s a very active effort here to ensure that Indigenous communities and Indigenous peoples are represented in their own words and in their own ways,” says Carson.

Managing archival materials introduces a whole new set of considerations particularly around informed consent, data sovereignty and permissions. Part of Carson’s work will be to develop and recommend policies and procedures for not only the processing and preservation of Xwi7xwa Archives, but also the culturally appropriate handling of materials, managing access and implementing an Indigenous and decolonized approach to the archives.

Building a history

“I’ve been slowly going through everything and starting the process of accessioning, appraising and planning how to process and preserve these materials,” says Carson. “That’s probably going to be the lion’s share of the first year or two as far as managing the archives—catching up on that massive backlog.”

Asked whether he’s uncovered any hidden gems in those boxes, Carson notes that his favorite finds are usually not visual, but instead consist of correspondence and meeting minutes: “One of our larger collections is the history of Xwi7xwa Library itself. We have a 30-year history of people discussing what an Indigenous library at UBC is going to look like and the documentary history of those discussions… These records address a lot of interesting institutional history, both for UBC and for the First Nations House of Learning.”

The importance of honouring this history is echoed by Kayla Lar-Son, Acting Head of Xwi7xwa library.

“As acting head of the branch I often reflect on how Xwi7xwa is upholding the UBC Longhouse teachings, and thinking about what the original vision was for Xwi7xwa while also remaining relevant in today’s world,” says Lar-Son. “We are so incredibly fortunate to have Jesse acting as the inaugural archivist for Xwi7xwa library. His hiring allows for us to move closer to the original vision of the archives, and having materials accessible for all community needs. Having a dedicated archivist for the branch also allows for us to further honour the individuals whose academic and lives’ works are housed within our archives.”

 

A photo of Kayla Lar-Son looking at archival materials on shelves in Xwi7xwa Library

Photo: Acting Head of Xwi7xwa Library, Kayla Lar-Son

On representation and collaboration

Before joining the team as an archivist, Carson spent two years working at Xwi7xwa as a student archivist while completing his Master of Archival Studies at UBC’s School of Information.

“I recognize I am of a settler background and someone who is not Indigenous, and I think it certainly impacts the way that I do the work,” notes Carson, who also asked, as part of the hiring process, to make the position title reflect that transparency. As a result, the title was changed from Indigenous Archivist to Xwi7xwa Archivist.

There’s sometimes a view of archivists as solitary positions, but Carson says that’s not the case at Xwi7xwa, and the collaborative environment was a big reason he was excited to come back to the library. “The work that I’m doing is much easier and much better by virtue of having access to all the great people that I’m working with.”

Here for a Good Time, and a Long Time: Ephemera in Open Collections

Ephemera, by its very definition, was never meant to stick around. Defined as items that have been preserved despite the fact that they were not intended to be at their time of production, the term is used to describe commonplace paper objects like flyers, menus, event tickets, postcards, and more.

Valentine’s card (1919) from the Tremaine Arkley Croquet Collection

While some ephemera may seem kitschy or frivolous on the surface, it can also be a form of historical documentation, providing a glimpse into its period of creation. Ephemera can act as a portal to a bygone era, demonstrating the aesthetic, linguistic, and cultural trends of its time.

Broadside (1988) from the R. Mathison Collection

History & Context 

“Ephemera” etymologically originates from the Greek word “ephēmeros”, meaning “lasting only a day”. Usage of the word can be traced as far back as Aristotle’s works, and by the mid-1800’s, “ephemeral” had been widely adopted to describe generic, printed items.

Cigar label (after 1888) from the Phil Lind Klondike Gold Rush Collection

The categorization of materials as ephemera is not as simple as it may seem. Scholars agree that its scope is ever-shifting, and that as cultural trends change, so does our definition of the term.

Archivist and writer Rick Prelinger argues that ephemeral objects become less ephemeral the more historical significance they’re prescribed. Nevertheless, the categorization endures, and special collections libraries and archives continue to preserve these “minor transient documents of everyday life”.

Ephemera in Open Collections

As one can imagine, ephemera from many different regions, eras, and social contexts exists within UBC Open Collections, providing additional context to the historical photographs and documentation with which it resides.

Menu from the Cabin Cafe (1912) from the Uno Langmann Family Collection of BC Photographs

Below, we take you on a tour through some of the ephemeral wonders of Open Collections.

Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection

The Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection contains ephemera related to the lives of Chinese Canadians in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including letters, business records and even election ballots.

These items provide insight into the social and cultural values of Chinese Canadians at this time and illuminate the history of local Chinese families, businesses, and organizations.

Card for Pan-Pacific Women’s Conference (1937)

Also represented in the Chung Collection are the early years of the Canadian Pacific Railway company. Ephemera from this period includes menus, pamphlets, baggage tags, and travel tickets.

Ticket envelope (around 1938)

These items are often eye-catching and colourful, revealing the aesthetic sensibilities of their time. They also reveal the era’s prevailing cultural desires—to travel, to be worldly, to explore.

However, some ephemeral items related to the Canadian Pacific Railroad illuminate the darker nature of Canadian travel at this time, with several pamphlets and posters employing colonial, orientalist, and otherwise harmful racist tropes to advertise domestic and international journeys. These materials depict Indigenous and non-Western people as exotic or “other”, while insisting that settler Canadians are more than welcome to travel to their homelands. Just as ephemera can shed light on the past’s more innocuous trends, it can elucidate its problematic cultural mores, too.

Note: As with all content in Open Collections, inclusion of these materials in the Chung Collection is not an endorsement of their messaging. They have been retained for transparency and to demonstrate the social conditions of their time. 

R. Mathison Printing Collection

Another treasure trove of ephemera is the R. Mathison Collection. Robert Mathison Jr.’s Vancouver print shop produced materials for local businesses from 1886-1890.

Wall calendar advertising printing services (1886)

The collection includes business cards, advertisements, and raffle tickets, and enables its viewer to imagine the Vancouver business landscape of the late 1800’s. It also provides a fascinating look at the marketing trends of the time.

H. Colin Slim Stravinsky Collection

The H. Colin Slim Stravinsky Collection documents the life of Russian composer and conductor Igor Stravinsky through letters, scores, and photographs. Ephemera in this collection includes concert programs and sheet music, as well as Stravinsky memorabilia like stamps and postcards.

Sheet of 100 postage stamps depicting Igor Stravinsky (1982)

These materials are evidence of Stravinsky’s cultural impact, and, more broadly, of the enduring cultural impact of classical music during the early to mid 20th century.

The everlasting allure of ephemera

Whether you’re a history buff or a kitsch collector, an ephemera-guided journey through time can be a source of great wonder and delight. The value of these materials lies in their ability to illuminate the seemingly mundane, but nonetheless meaningful quotidian events of eras past.

Bumper sticker (between 1968-1973) from the Berkeley Poster Collection

While it may seem fundamentally contradictory, it’s safe to say that ephemera is here to stay.

“ATYPON – Access Denied” error impacting Wiley, Sage, AAS, Science Journal and more

Users will see a “ATYPON – Access Denied” error when trying to access a large number of publisher websites.

ATYPON is a platform provide that many publishers use to allow them to authenticate users. Multiple Universities are seeing this problem.

As a workaround, please use the OpenAthens Proxy by placing this text in front of the URL you are trying to access – https://proxy.openathens.net/login?qurl=

ATYPON is working on the issue and will get this resolved as soon as possible.

New Books at the Law Library – 25/06/17

LAW LIBRARY level 3: HV1559.C3 L37 2024
M.D. Lepofsky, Swimming Up Niagara Falls! The Battle to Get Disability Rights Added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (CNIB Beyond Print, 2024).
Online access: https://doi.org/10.22329/wyaj.v39.8579

LAW LIBRARY level 3: KF3821 .H35 2025
M.A. Hall & D. Orentlicher, Health Care Law and Ethics in a Nutshell (West Academic, 2025).

LAW LIBRARY level 3: KF4290 .B87 2025
S.L. Burr, Entertainment Law in a Nutshell, 6th ed (West Academic, 2025).

LAW LIBRARY level 3: KF4550.Z9 W53 2025
T.E. Baker, Constitutional Analysis in a Nutshell, 4th ed (West Academic Publishing, 2025).

LAW LIBRARY level 3: KF5402 .G4 2025
R.M. Levin & J.S. Lubbers, Administrative Law and Process in a Nutshell, 7th ed (West Academic, 2025).

LAW LIBRARY level 3: KF8205 .C36 2025
W.C. Canby, Jr, American Indian Law in a Nutshell, 8th ed (West Academic, 2025).

Records management at UBC: What are university records and how do I manage them?

An illustration of a laptop, books, folders and papers, together against a blue background.

Excerpted and adapted from What does the Records Management Office do? on the UBC Records Management Office (RMO) blog.

Each time you write an email, buy material for your unit, or propose a new project in a departmental meeting, you’ve created a record. That email, that purchase requisition and payment receipt, and those meeting minutes are all types of records that may need to be referenced again at some point in the future.

Besides UBC’s human resources, records are one of the most valuable resources at UBC. They provide evidence of decision-making, detail rights and responsibilities, show legislative and institutional compliance and document our celebrations—in short, they represent all the work we do. UBC’s university records encompass all recorded information—physical and electronic—created through administrative activities. The Records Management Office (RMO) at UBC provides services that can help faculty and staff improve their record keeping practices.

Do I need to keep every record forever?

Records come in several flavours. In general, records can be:

  • transitory (temporary, not important after a while)
  • operational (important for years to satisfy administrative, government, audit or legal commitments), or
  • archival (important to the history of the unit and should be kept permanently at the University Archives).

At UBC, we don’t keep all of these records types indefinitely; instead, records are managed according to UBC’s Retention Schedules, which are published on the RMO website. A Retention Schedule guide is available here (insert link to blog post)

How do I know what types of records I have?

The Records Management Office can help you identify any records of archival value and can work with your unit to conduct annual record surveys to identify what types of records currently exist within your unit, and what to do with them. Reach out to the RMO team to get started.

Looking for more records management tips and best practices? Find more on the RMO website.


The Records Management Office (RMO) at UBC provides a unified approach to records management, supports overall effective information management, and leads the transition to electronic records management at UBC in an efficient, secure, and sustainable manner. Learn more about available services, training and best practices on the RMO website.

How language revitalization boosts Indigenous health

New research shows that reviving Indigenous languages may do more than preserve culture—it may also improve public health.

2025 Employee Recognition Award winners announced

From left to right: James Bachmann, Anton Nonin, Caitlin Lindsay, David Cumming, and Dr. Susan E. Parker.

UBC Library is pleased to announce that Caitlin Lindsay, David Cumming, Alexandra Kuskowski, James Bachmann, and Anton Nonin are the 2025 recipients of UBC Library Awards. Each year, the Library Awards Program shines a light on faculty and staff who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, innovation, leadership, excellence and a dedication to customer service through their work.

The awards were presented during the 2025 UBC Library Summer Recognition Awards Ceremony, held on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

Congratulations to this year’s award recipients, and thank you to everyone who participated by submitting nominations.

Employee Excellence Award – Caitlin Lindsay

Caitlin Lindsay (Access Services Librarian, Borrower Services) is the winner of the 2025 Employee Excellence Award, which recognizes those whose track record for quality work is matched only by the kindness, compassion and respect that make their contributions so effective.

Caitlin exemplifies UBC Library’s core values of openness, belonging, connection and curiosity. She is known for being collaborative, working closely with the Head of Koerner Library and Koerner teams, as well as other branches and units across UBC campuses. She consistently works to make processes clear and effective, improving access to resources and even updating signage.

Innovation Awards – Alexandra Kuskowski and James Bachmann

Alexandra Kuskowski (Learning Services Librarian, Chapman Learning Commons) and James Bachmann (Instruction Librarian, Law Library) are the winners of the 2025 Innovation Award, which recognizes Library employees who have demonstrated new and innovative ways of performing existing processes or who introduced a new library service or program that benefits employees and library users.

Alexandra serves as the Chair of the UBC Library Basic Indigenous Reference Training, and has shown ongoing and crucial support for this program. Her work on this training supports both UBC Library’s Strategic Framework and the Indigenous Strategic Plan. She has also disseminated the core learning through conferences. Her work has demonstrated an innovative and proactive response to the critical goals set within the Indigenous Strategic Plan.

James helped to found and develop the new Canadian Access Legal Citation Guide, an open access, bilingual legal resource. This new citation guide is a free, inclusive alternative to the standard legal citation guide, which exists behind a paywall. He led approximately 15 law librarians from across the country to develop and finalize the guide, which is now available to anyone needing to cite legal materials.

Unsung Hero Award – David Cumming

David Cumming (Information and Reserve Assistant/Facilities Liaison, Woodward Library) is the winner of the 2025 Unsung Hero Award, which honours colleagues who keep UBC Library’s programs, services, and infrastructure running. When they do their jobs well, their work is seamless and often goes unnoticed.

David helps to ensure that his branch facilities are well maintained to support the needs of students, faculty, staff, researchers and community. From monitoring equipment and supplies to stack maintenance and even trouble shooting technology, his work is crucial to the library functioning smoothly.

Leadership from Within Award – Anton Nonin

Anton Nonin (Senior Rights and Permissions Assistant, Digital Initiatives) is the winner of the 2025 Leadership from Within Award, which recognizes library employees who demonstrate leadership through their ability to inspire engagement in others, and who goes above and beyond for the betterment of their workplace.

Anton’s leadership shines through his actions, by fostering collaboration and providing mentorship to his team in an inclusive environment. He is a calm presence, who brings a detail-oriented and solutions-focused attitude to his work to improve systems and support his colleagues.

Congratulations to this year’s Library Recognition Award winners!

Library Catalogue is Down

UBC Library Catalogue is currently not working https://webcat.library.ubc.ca

IT is working on it. Links to print books from Summon and other sources will not work while it is down.