Due to the current situation with COVID-19, the Rare Books and Special Collections and University Archives reading room will be closed until further notice.
During this time librarians, archivists, and staff will be working remotely to continue to support patrons to the extent possible. Please see our Rare Books and Special Collections Remote Resources and Services Guide for more information and assistance.
You may also take advantage of our new RBSC Remote Reading Room service starting on January 25, 2021.
The RBSC Remote Reading Room allows you to consult rare book and archival materials remotely via a document camera. Scheduled sessions take place via Zoom, and an RBSC team member will be on hand to page through materials for you.
Remote Reading Room sessions can be booked for one hour, and patrons may request one rare book or one box of archival materials per session. Patrons can book up to three appointments per month and may request up to 10 image captures (JPG format) during each session. Requests must be submitted 7 business days in advance and sessions are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. (PT).
In order to schedule a session and for more details, please see the RBSC Remote Reading Room Request Form.
For any other inquires, please feel free to contact us through the RBSC contact form or by sending an email to rare.books@ubc.ca or to a specific librarian or archivist. Inquiries for University Archives can be sent through their contact form or direct email.
Also be sure to explore digitized materials from RBSC’s collections available through UBC Library’s Open Collections. RBSC’s LibGuides provide helpful links to digitized materials by subject matter or collection where available. There are also a number of digitized primary source materials available through UBC Library’s subscription databases.
Please check the UBC Library homepage and the Rare Books and Special Collections homepage for future updates about reading room operations. Thank you for your understanding during these uncertain times and be well.