All Posts

BC History Digitization Program Early Notice Announcement

The British Columbia History Digitization Program (BCHDP) is seeking early notice from prospective applicants for the 2027-2028 funding year. This will enable program staff to follow up with applicants eligible for and interested in additional support during the grant application process.

In an effort to bolster BCHDP’s commitment to building capacity and supporting community-based organizations* in the preservation and digitization of unique British Columbia content, in this upcoming funding cycle, the program will prioritize applications that are led by community-based organizations. If you have questions about community-based organization prioritization, please contact the BCHDP Coordinator (bc.historydigitization@ubc.ca).

If your organization is considering applying for a 2027-2028 BCHDP grant, please fill out the Notice of Intent Survey (https://surveys.bceln.ca/limesurvey/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=884849&lang=en).

Early notice will be accepted until August 7, 2026, but the earlier notice you provide, the more support we can provide. Early notice is not mandatory but is expected to improve the chances of a successful grant application.

The information provided in the Notice of Intent Survey will only be used for follow-up; it will not form part of your application. Organizations eligible for and indicating interest in additional support during the grant application process will be contacted.

Support for eligible organizations can include assistance with completing the grant application; project management; copyright advisory; connections to digitization service providers; securing digitization staff; preparing metadata; and hosting digitized materials in the Arca provincial digital repository.

Background

The British Columbia History Digitization Program (BCHDP), launched by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre in 2006, provides matching funds to support digitization projects that make unique British Columbia content freely available.

In October 2026, the BCHDP will be accepting applications for the 2027-2028 funding year. Applicants can receive up to $15,000 of matching funds for their projects. In 2026-2027 funding year, the program awarded more than $150,000 for 20 projects. Since its inception in 2006, the BCHDP has awarded more than $3 million of matching funds for more than 280 projects.

Additional support for organizations applying for BCHDP grants is provided through a partnership between the BC Electronic Library Network (BC ELN) and the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre (IKBLC) at the University of British Columbia Library. For more information about the BC ELN-BCHDP Support Service, please visit: https://bceln.github.io/bchdp-docs/about/about/

For more information about the program and to view past projects, please visit BC History Digitization Program: https://ikblc.ubc.ca/initiatives/bcdigitinfo/

*Community-based organizations are non-profit, non-governmental, or charitable organizations that represent community needs and work to help them. CBOs may be associated with a particular area of concern or segment of the community.

July 14th is International Non-Binary People’s Day

Since 2012, we have celebrated International Non-Binary People’s Day on July 14th, the halfway point between International Women’s Day and International Men’s Day.

The term “non-binary” does not have one definition but refers to individuals whose gender identity is neither female nor male. Other terms such as “gender non-conforming”, “genderqueer”, or “agender” are similar. Gender is a social construct that comes with a set of expectations, but there are many ways people can express their gender identity other than on a binary.

The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ youth, developed this Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Young People as an educational resource for allies to learn how to respectfully support the Nonbinary and Transgender people in their lives. For a brief overview of this guide and to familiarize yourself with the common genders as well as tips and best practices on supporting the Trans and Nonbinary people in your life, take a look at our 2025 International Non-Binary People’s Day blog post. Taking the initiative to educating yourself relieves the burden of Trans and Nonbinary folks of having to repeatedly explain themselves to others.

Using the Correct Pronouns

This year, we will delve deeper into pronouns and the importance of using people’s correct pronouns. Egale Canada, Canada’s leading organization for 2SLGBTQI+ people and issues, has developed this helpful Pronouns Usage Guide as well as the shorter Pronouns Usage Quick Guide with helpful tips and instructions on pronoun usage.

Using the right pronouns is an easy way and small step you can take to show respect and decency to Non-binary and Transgender individuals. A harmful term that has been commonly used in the past that allies should avoid is to use the term “preferred pronouns”, as this implies these pronouns are just a preference and that alternatives are acceptable, when they are not. It’s also vital to not assume a person’s pronouns based on their appearance, and ask for pronouns whether someone’s gender expression is both expected or unexpected to you. Only asking those who’s appearance doesn’t fit in with your personal views of gender expression is a form of othering. Misgendering can be hurtful, exhausting, and humiliating for gender diverse people. Normalizing sharing your own pronouns (especially as a cisgender person) as well ask asking for others pronouns in everyday conversation lessens the likelihood of misgendering and further makes it part of the status quo.

Keep in mind that some people may use different pronouns in different settings. For example, if an individual is not out as Transgender with their family, they may use the pronouns associated with the gender they were assigned at birth. If you are worried about accidentally outing someone, be sure to check in with that person about their pronouns.

They/Them Pronouns

One argument commonly heard by those who struggle to use the correct nonbinary pronouns is that it is grammatically incorrect to use “they” as a pronoun for a singular person. They/them pronouns are commonly used by nonbinary people as they are a pre-existing and gender-neutral way to refer to a person. Page 4-5 of Egale’s Pronouns Usage Guide gives helpful examples on how to use singular they/them pronouns in a grammatically correct way.

What people may not always realize is that they often naturally use they/them to refer to a single person if the identity of that person is unknown.

For example: “Someone left their water bottle in the room.”

Because we don’t know who left the bottle, their pronouns are not automatically assumed.

Neopronouns 

Neopronouns are personal pronouns some people use other than she, he, or they. While some are more common, some people create their own to express themselves and their gender. It can be more difficult to figure out the correct grammar of neopronouns as they are less common, and it is ok to ask what is correct and to be unsure of how to use them. Asking and learning is always appreciated from allies. Page 6 of Egale’s Pronouns Usage Guide defines neopronouns and has some examples of common neopronouns used.

Some examples of commonly used neopronouns include:

(Ze, Hir, Hirs, Hirself)

(Ey, Em, Eir, Eirs, Emself)

(Xe, Xem, Xyr, Xyrs, Xemself)

 

UBC Resources

The UBC Trans & Non-Binary Student Guide is a open, honest, and collaborative resource created by a team of Trans and Non-binary students at UBC to help students access resources and support on campus.

The UBC Pride Collective is an AMS resource that offers educational and social services dealing with sexual and gender diversity. It is a safe, supportive, and student-led home for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community at UBC.

Gears and Queers is an Engineering and STEM club at UBC that strives to support a community for queer and trans engineering students.

Community Resources:

The Trevor Project, an organization leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ young people, offering crisis services, peer support, and education.

Trans Care BC, an organization specifically in British Columbia that connects trans people and their loved ones with information, education, and support.

Egale Canada is Canada’s leading organization for LGBTQIA+ people and issues through research, education, awareness, and advocacy for human rights and equity.

QMUNITY, British Columbia’s queer, trans, and two-spirit resource centre. This organization is based in Vancouver and works to provide safe spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ people to express themselves, providing free counselling, information and referrals, and one-on-one peer support.

Out on the Shelves Library is a volunteer-run, community library that is committed to being a space to celebrate and strengthen queer culture through resources and programs.

Vancouver Public Library provides a list of resources as well as reading materials for further education about LGBTQIA+ experiences and communities.

UBC Library Materials:

To learn more, check out these reading materials available through the UBC Library:

Barker, M., Iantaffi, A., & ProQuest (Firm). (2019). Life isn’t binary: On being both, beyond, and in-between (1st ed.). Jessica Kingsley Publishers. [Available at UBC Library]

Barker, M., Scheele, J. (2019). Gender: A graphic guide. Icon Books. [Available at UBC Library]

Roche, J. (2019;2020;). Trans power: Own your gender (1st ed.). Jessica Kingsley Publishers. [Available at UBC Library]

Whitehead, J. & Abdou, A. (2023). Indigiqueerness: A conversation about storytelling. AU Press. [Available at UBC Library]

Young, E., & ProQuest (Firm). (2020;2019;). They/Them/Their: A guide to nonbinary and genderqueer identities (1st ed.). Jessica Kingsley Publishers. [Available at UBC Library]

Web Sources Consulted:

Egale Canada. (n.d.). Pronoun usage guide. Egale Canada. Retrieved July 2, 2026, from https://egale.ca/awareness/pronoun-usage-guide/

International Non-Binary People’s Day. (2025). In Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_Non-Binary_People%27s_Day&oldid=1298031203

The Trevor Project. (2024). 2024 Guide to Being an Ally to Trans and Nonbinary Young People. The Trevor Projecthttps://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/guide/a-guide-to-being-an-ally-to-transgender-and-nonbinary-youth/

 

UBC Library Announces Kevin Spenst as Writer-in-Residence


In collaboration with Word Vancouver, UBC Library is pleased to announce Kevin Spenst as its next Writer-in-Residence.  A poet, editor, teacher, and community arts organizer, Spenst brings a deep commitment to poetry as a public, participatory, and place-based practice. A graduate of UBC School of Creative Writing’s MFA Program, Spenst has played an active role in Vancouver’s literary community, organizing reading series, poetry walks, outdoor book clubs, chapbook readings, and community-based literary gatherings. He is also a long-time co-organizer of the Dead Poets Reading Series and has helped create welcoming spaces for poets and readers to engage with literary lineages and local histories.

Spenst is also an experienced educator and mentor. He has served as a Poetry Mentor at Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio and has taught literature at Alexander College. His approach to mentorship emphasizes conversation, close attention to the writer’s work, and the broader literary conversations that surround it.

Spenst’s forthcoming non-fiction collection, Stanley Park Manor: A Collective History, will be published by Anvil Press this fall. Inspired by oral history, poetic listening, and the relationship between literature and place, the collection reflects his interest in the stories that shape communities and the people who inhabit them.

As Writer-in-Residence, Spenst will bring his experience as a mentor, educator, and literary connector to UBC Library. His residency will invite students, faculty, writers, and community members to consider poetry as conversation, listening as creative practice, and the academic library as a space for literary exchange.

UBC Library warmly welcomes Kevin Spenst and looks forward to the conversations and creative engagements his residency will inspire.   For more details about the program, please visit the Writer-in-Residence webpage.

Lauren Lacey

Learning Service Librarian

Background

Lauren Lacey joined the IKBLC team in January 2026. They graduated from the University of Toronto with Master’s in both Information (specializing in Library and Information Science) as well as Museum Studies. Prior to becoming a librarian, they worked as in the theatre industry. Their research interests include information literacy pedagogy, and queer studies.

Current Roles and Responsibilities:

In their current role, Lauren manages the planning, implementation, and assessment of the learning support programs and services at the Chapman Learning Commons, which includes overseeing the equipment lending program, and student staff team at the CLC Help Desk. As well, Lauren co-leads collaborative information and digital literacy projects including the Digital Tattoo Project, and the Library Skills Tutorials.

Contact:

Email: lauren.lacey@ubc.ca
Phone: (604) 822-6915

June is National Indigenous History Month

The University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. In fact, anywhere you step in Canada is land on which Indigenous people have lived and stewarded since time immemorial.

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, a time to learn about and celebrate the unique Indigenous cultures within Canada as well as recognize the ongoing impacts of colonization. While much work has been done to uphold Truth and Reconciliation efforts, it is an ongoing process of learning and decolonizing our ways of thinking. It is important to learn about cultures and impacts on Indigenous communities from Indigenous voices. Reading books by Indigenous authors, watching Indigenous films or performances, and following Indigenous creators on social media are all ways to learn directly from Indigenous peoples.

UBC Resources

UBC has begun implementing the Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP), a series of goals and actions the university will take to advance our vision of becoming a leading university globally in the implementation of Indigenous peoples’ human rights. The ISP was created in response to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls for Justice.

The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) at UBC addresses the colonial impacts of Residential Schools and other oppressive policies imposed by the Canadian government on Indigenous peoples. The Centre helps Survivors, Intergenerational Survivors, and their families access their records and family information in a safe, trauma-informed environment. You can also browse their online collections without visiting the Centre in person through their Collection Website.

The X̱wi7x̱wa Library at UBC is a centre for academic and community Indigenous scholarship. Because UBC campus is located on the lands of the Musqueam people, they have created a research guide to help us learn about the Musqueam contributions to the the library collections called Musqueam: Land Beneath Our Feet.

X̱wi7x̱wa Library has approximately 12,000 items in their collection and collects materials written from First Nations perspectives, such as materials produced by First Nations, First Nations organizations, tribal councils, schools, publishers, researchers, writers, and scholars. include open databases with significant Indigenous content.

The First Nations House of Learning, based in the First Nations Longhouse at UBC, supports Indigenous students and community members by making UBC’s vast resources more accessible and to improve their ability to help First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people.

UBC offers a number of Indigenous-focused programs within various faculties as well as a guide to finding courses with significant Indigenous content.

Community Events & Resources

The Vancouver Public Library is hosting a number of events celebrating National Indigenous History Month including dance performances, film screenings, book clubs, and learning sessions. They have also created a Resource List of books, films, music, and online resources created by and about First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples available at all VPL locations.

The Government of Canada provides a list of Mental Health Resources specifically for Indigenous communities including help lines, information on counselling services, cultural support programs, and more.

Find National Indigenous History Month events in and around Vancouver through the Indigenous Tourism BC website.

UBC Library Materials 

To read more from Indigenous voices, check out these materials available through the UBC Library:

Fraser, C., & Komarnisky, S. V. (2026). Talk treaty to me: Understanding the basics of treaties and land in Canada (First ed.). Collins, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. [Available at UBC Library]

Grant, L. & Steedman, S. (2025). Reconciling: A lifelong struggle to belong (1st ed.). ECW Press. [Available at UBC Library]

Highway, T. (2022). Laughing with the trickster: On sex, death, and accordions. Anansi. [Available at UBC Library]

Kimmerer, R. W. & Burgoyne, J. (2024). The serviceberry: Abundance and reciprocity in the natural world (First Scribner hardcover;1; ed.). Scribner. [Available at UBC Library]

Metcalfe-Chenail, D., & Xwi7xwa Collection. (2016). In Metcalfe-Chenail D. (Ed.), In this together: Fifteen stories of truth & reconciliation (1st ed.). Brindle & Glass. [Available at UBC Library]

Web Sources Consulted

Government of Canada. (2016, June 22). National Indigenous history month [Administrative page; promotional material]. https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1466616436543/1534874922512

Intriguing Connections – Pop-Up Book Gathering at the UEL Community Gardens on July 5


Please join us for an Intriguing Connections: Pop-Up Book Gathering at the UEL Community Gardens.  We invite you to a community pop-up library in the UEL Community Gardens to slow down, browse, and connect through books. Featuring a thoughtfully curated selection of multilingual, translated, and independent titles under the theme of World Literature, the book display offers something for every kind of reader, from introspective nonfiction to contemporary fiction. Set amid the natural beauty of a community garden, the pop-up encourages spontaneous discovery, quiet reading, and shared conversation.

Take a break and join us to linger and explore with others through a shared love of storytelling and a sense of community belonging in an open, welcoming outdoor summer setting. Participants are also invited to contribute to a collaborative sticky-note recommendation board, where community members can share favourite books, memorable reads, and literary discoveries with one another.

This initiative is funded by the Inspiring Community Grant.


Sunday, July 5, 2026, 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the

UEL Community Gardens

<>

in the University Endowment Lands (UEL)


Intriguing Connections – Pop-Up Book Display and Gathering at the UEL Community Gardens on July 25


Please join us for an Intriguing Connections: Pop-Up Book Gathering at the UEL Community Gardens. We invite you to a community pop-up library in the UEL Community Gardens to slow down, browse, and connect through books. Featuring a thoughtfully curated selection of multilingual, translated, and independent titles under the theme of Environment and Nature, the book display offers something for every kind of reader, from introspective nonfiction to contemporary fiction. Set amid the natural beauty of a community garden, the pop-up encourages spontaneous discovery, quiet reading, and shared conversation. Take a break and join us to linger and explore with others through a shared love of storytelling and a sense of community belonging in an open, welcoming outdoor summer setting.

Take a break and join us to linger and explore with others through a shared love of storytelling and a sense of community belonging in an open, welcoming outdoor summer setting. Participants are also invited to contribute to a collaborative sticky-note recommendation board, where community members can share favourite books, memorable reads, and literary discoveries with one another.

This initiative is funded by the Inspiring Community Grant.


Sunday, July 5, 2026, 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the

UEL Community Gardens (located on Western Parkway and Toronto Road, Vancouver, B.C)

<>

in the University Endowment Lands (UEL)


Intriguing Connections – Pop Up Book Gathering

 


Please join us for an Intriguing Connections: Pop-Up Book Gathering at the Wesbrook Community Centre in Wesbrook Village.

You’re invited to slow down, browse, and connect through books at a welcoming community pop-up gathering in the outdoor space at Wesbrook Community Centre. Featuring a thoughtfully curated selection of English, multilingual, translated, and independent titles, the pop-up offers something for every kind of reader, from introspective nonfiction to contemporary fiction.

Come take a break, discover something unexpected, enjoy a quiet moment of reading, or share conversation with others through a love of storytelling and community connection. Participants are also invited to contribute to a collaborative sticky-note recommendation board, where community members can share favourite books, memorable reads, and literary discoveries with one another.

This initiative is funded by the Inspiring Community Grant.


Sunday, May 31, 2026, 2.00-4.00 pm at the

Wesbrook Community Centre Outdoor Space

(3335 Webber Lane)

in Wesbrook Village 

[Link]

May is Asian Heritage Month

Each year in May, Canada celebrates Asian Heritage Month to recognize the ways Canadians of Asian descent have helped shape Canadian identity today. Many Asian Canadians have made contributions that mark historical and cultural milestones in the development of the country. To read more about noteworthy Canadians of Asian heritage, see here.

Though this yearly celebration cannot right past wrongs of discrimination, we can still celebrate their rich and diverse culture and recognize their many contributions.

History of Discrimination Against People of Asian Descent in Canada

Since the 1700s, people of Asian descent have been living in and shaping what we know as Canada today. However, they were not always welcomed and celebrated. The historical discrimination of people of Asian descent and the ongoing effects in their communities is one reason we take the month of May to celebrate Asian Heritage.

Racist historical policies such as the Chinese Head Tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act were enacted to discriminate against Chinese immigrants to prevent them from coming to Canada as many white Canadians of the time were hostile and unwelcoming. These policies and attitudes have persisted through generations of Chinese Canadians, which is one reason we aim to amplify Asian Canadian voices each year in May.

During World War II, Japanese Canadians were forcibly removed from Canada’s west coast and placed in internment camps, separating many families. Though there was no evidence that Japanese Canadians posed a threat, their incarceration was framed as a way to uphold security in Canada. Many Japanese Canadians were forced to move east while others were exiled to Japan.

Communities of South Asian descent have also faced racial hostility and discrimination in Canada as their communities expanded. Restrictive immigration laws such as the Continuous Journey Act created a significant barrier for South Asian immigrants coming to Canada seeking work and community.

To find more information about significant events in Asian communities in Canada, see here.

To read more about noteworthy Canadians of Asian heritage, see here.

Community Events and Resources

The Vancouver Public Library has events and resources celebrating the histories, experiences, and achievements of Asian Canadians.

For more VPL Asian Heritage Month events, see here.

The Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society will be hosting the 30th annual ExplorASIAN Fesitval in various locations around Vancouver throughout May.

The LiterASIAN Writers Festival will be taking place in Vancouver on June 27th and June 28th. This festival celebrates Asian Canadian literature by bringing together emerging and established writers. This year’s theme is “Re-Generation”.

The Vancouver Art Gallery will be hosting a number of talks, tours, and workshops this May that highlight the influence of Asian art and cultural expression.

UBC Events and Resources

On Tuesday, May 5th from 10am-4:30pm, the Department of Asian Studies will be hosting a screening of the documentary film “Like the Dryer’s Hand” by Cheng Tsun-shing, a film chronicling the life of UBC’s Professor Yeh Chiaying, who taught pre-modern Chinese literature at UBC.

On Thursday, May 21st from 6:30-8:00pm, Shaahin Pishbin will present the lecture “Iranians before Iran: Identity and the Safavid Diaspora in Mughal India” at UBC Robson Square.

UBC’s Asian Library provides support for scholars, students, and community members who wish to learn about Asian heritage. They also host various events, talks, and displays throughout the year.

UBC Library also provides an Asian Canadian Studies Research Guide highlighting key resources for research and learning.

UBC Library Materials 

UBC Library has a wide selection of books by Asian Canadian authors such as:

Adams, J. D. (2022). Chinese Victoria: A long and difficult journey. Discover the Past. [Available at UBC Library]

Boudel Tan, E. (2025). The tiger and the cosmonaut. Viking, an imprint of Penguin Canada. [Available at UBC Library]

Lau, E. (2025). Parade of storms. Anvil Press. [Available at UBC Library]

Phan, R. (2025). Restaurant kid: A memoir of family and belonging (First Pegasus Books cloth ed.). Pegasus Books. [Available at UBC Library]

Wong, L. (2011). Dim sum stories: A Chinatown childhood. Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia & Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies, University of British Columbia. [Available at UBC Library]

Web Sources Consulted

Asian Library. (n.d.). History and development. Retrieved April 29, 2026, from https://asian.library.ubc.ca/history-and-development/

Government of Canada. (2021, April 29). Significant events in the history of Asian communities in Canada. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/important-events.html