The University of British Columbia announced Friday that 19 projects have been selected as the successful recipients of the 2020–2021 BC History Digitization Program funding awards.
This year’s projects include the digitization of several historical newspapers (Kelowna, Nelson, Oliver and Saanich), Port Coquitlam city council and committee agendas and minutes, audio recordings from the Pender Guy radio program, the Museum of Vancouver’s trades and businesses collection, and a bilingual newspaper Patrika (English/Punjabi).
One of the recipients is the Arrow Lakes Historical Society that received $7,373 to scan and digitize 275 issues of The Valley Voice regional community newspaper, covering news in the Slocan, Arrow Lakes and North Kootenay Lake Valleys. No genealogical societies received funding.
The focus of the digitization program is to promote increased access to British Columbia’s historical resources.
Launched in 2006, the digitization program is an initiative of the university’s Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. It provides matching funds that help libraries, archives, museums and other organizations digitize unique historical items, including images, print and audio visual materials.
The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre funding totalled $160,000 for the 2020–2021 round. Altogether, the BC History Digitization Program has provided more than $1 million for more than 100 projects throughout British Columbia.
The 19 projects and their description appear on the University of British Columbia website.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some projects are deferring their start date until further notice.
