Friends of the
Rare Books and Special Collections

Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) at UBC Library is a treasured resource for students, faculty, researchers and the broader community, offering a space to explore the past through exceptional and unique materials and to uncover stories that continue to shape our world.

As the premier rare book and archival collection on Canada’s west coast, RBSC houses manuscripts, historic maps, photographs, books, pamphlets, artifacts and more. With support from generous donors like you, these collections fuel research, spark curiosity and bring unique cultural items to light.

Donor contributions have helped expand and digitize some of our most remarkable collections, including:

• The Chung Collection, with more than 25,000 unique items that document early British Columbia history, Chinese immigration and settlement and the Canadian Pacific Railway. Honoured on the Canadian Commission for UNESCO’s Canada Memory of the World Register, this collection is internationally celebrated for its historical value.
• The Phil Lind Klondike Gold Rush Collection, captures the pivotal events of the Klondike Gold Rush. It has been designated by the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board (CCPERB), a Canadian cultural property of outstanding significance.
• The Shakespeare First Folio, the first edition of Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, published seven years after Shakespeare’s death.

By becoming a Friend of the Rare Books and Special Collections, you help us acquire new materials through purchase and donation, and digitize historically valuable materials. Together, we can build upon our existing strengths and respond to emerging research needs at UBC.