McGill’s digitized collections are now available in HathiTrust

This summer, the McGill Library is celebrating two major milestones in digitization:

HathiTrust: After many years of hard work and a collaborative effort between Collection Services and Digital Initiatives, the Library contributed 17,918 digitized volumes to HathiTrust. This marks a significant achievement of a long-held goal, to move our mass digitized collections from the IA into HathiTrust for increased preservation and access. Not only have we moved all our digitized volumes into HathiTrust, new workflows were also created to ingest digitized works on a regular basis using the Digital Projects Database (DPD). This incredible online tool was created by Elizabeth Thomson, (recently retired system analyst) at the Library’s in-house Application Development Team in Digital Initiatives.

HathiTrust is a partnership of academic and research institutions that offers millions of digitized titles from libraries around the world. During the pandemic while the Library was unavailable to onsite borrowers,  it continued to provide access to our print holdings.

In 2009-2010, HathiTrust started experimenting with ways to add support for ingesting content from the IA. This initiative enabled the Library to “batch upload” our first IA collection to HathiTrust: the popular Chapbook Collection that was published during the 18th and 19th centuries and contains over 900 British and American chapbooks. HathiTrust’s innovative approach of using existing high-resolution images from the IA saves an enormous amount of time since it is not necessary for the Library to restore archival images from its own preservation tape backups. Once the images are loaded, the HathiTrust record offers a similar experience to the IA with a full-text search component and a page-turner display option. More importantly, because of HathiTrust’s close collaboration with the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) to create a permanent bibliographic catalogue, our digitized content is discoverable in McGill’s discovery tool Sofia.

The Internet Archive: This past month, the Library reached the incredible milestone of 6 million views on the IA, a non-profit digital library that provides public access to millions of digitized items. Founded in 1996, the IA (archive.org) has collaborated with more 275 Canadian institutions in providing open access to their unique materials. The McGill Library began uploading to the IA eight years ago and our collection now numbers 18,973 digitized items. Currently, the McGill Library has the following eight collections in the internet Archive:

Here are some interesting facts about our IA collection that is growing by thousands of eBooks every year.

  • One of our most popular items is the Magic Cookbook with over 17,000 views. It describes how Magic Baking Powder is used in baking recipes.
  • The oldest digitized item in the collection is an Assyrian Medical Tablet ca. 700 BCE. It belonged to an ancient family of priests in the Temple of Aššur and it is on remedies for an eye disease that is itself unidentified in the tablet.
  • The IA collection contains items in over 50 languages, including several indigenous languages such as Cree, Mi’kmaq, and Inuktitut.
  • The size of the books in the collection range from a very large 3-foot atlas to a small chapbook measuring only 91 mm.
  • The IA now offers the Daisy Audio format of our digitized collection for print-disabled users using specialized devices or apps.

If you wish to stay informed of new additions to our digitized collection in the Internet Archive, please consider subscribing to our RSS feed.

A big thank you goes out to our colleagues who made these milestones possible: Megan Chellew, Elizabeth Thomson, Jessica Lange, Sarah Severson (U of A), Clara Turp, Andrew Senior, Mutugi Gathuri, Mehmood Khalid, Jenn Riley and the rest of the Application Development Team in Digital Initiatives.

2017 year in review: Digitization

As 2017 comes to a close, the McGill Library has become the forefront in digitization. Not only has the library embarked on more systematic digitization projects, it has also fulfilled a record number of scan requests and added over 1,500 new digitized books to the internet archives since 2016. It is interesting to reflect on a few of the other significant accomplishments in the Digitization Lab this past year.

One important achievement was the purchase and implementation of the Quartz Suprascan, a new planetary scanner specifically designed for large format digitization of rare material.  This new acquisition made it possible to consolidate all of our equipment into one space, replacing the Better Light system that was housed in the back room of Rare Books and Special Collections. Not only has the Quartz Suprascan increased productivity because of its speed and superior level of image quality, it has also made it easier to manage large format digitization becoming a central part of the Lab. Its other innovative features include the 1:1 scanning ratio, the relief enhancing lighting, and the glare control system that enables digitization of sealed drawings in glossy mylar without reflections.

Quartz scanner in the digitization lab

Quartz scanner in the digitization lab

Example of the 1:1 scanning ratio with some of our architectural drawings

Example of the 1:1 scanning ratio with some of our architectural drawings

Another area in which digitization has had a major impact is in digital exhibitions. The introduction of interactive touch tables in 2016 created a mini-boom for curated selections of digitized items. This innovative technology is ideal for showcasing digitized work by allowing users to zoom into the finer details with the push of a fingertip. Some recent examples include Vimy Ridge, an exhibit that commemorated the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge; an exhibition dedicated to the work of Robert Reid that featured over 250 pieces of his work; and the Montreal Maps exhibition, in which a hundred maps dating from between 1556 and 1946 were digitized to celebrate Montreal’s 375th anniversary.

At the start of the year, a new large-scale digitization initiative was started with the help of Collection Services. During cataloguing, any material that was published before 1896 and considered unique was brought to digitization ahead of being returned to Rare Books. This new and improved workflow opened the door to our collections and shared some incredible items from the McGill Library with the world. These items are from a range of collections including Islamic Manuscripts, Blacker-Wood, McGill Theses, and Voltaire.

Other notable digitization projects include:

Here’s looking forward to 2018 and the interesting and exciting projects that are on the horizon for the Digitization Lab.

Backstory: A history of McGill Student Publications

Guest post by Annelise Dowd. Annelise is a recent graduate of the McGill University Master of Information Studies program who worked on a practicum project working with the Student Publication Collection.

McGill Student Publications Collection
With 140 years of student produced content, covered in 9,868 issues in eighteen unique papers, the student publications at McGill has a rich history. Student publications include widely disseminated student newspapers written and published by students on both the downtown and Macdonald campuses, covering the events, daily life, and opinions of students. From lofty intellectualism of nineteenth century McGill publications, to the anti-war resistance of 1960s The McGill Daily issues, the student papers at McGill shifted greatly in content and scope. However, what these publications do share is the virtue of revealing not only the lives of McGill students, but also that of a young residents of Montreal, Canada, and the larger world.

All issues are available to search and download through the Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/mcgilluniversitystudentpublications

The early years: 1874-1911

The first student newspaper, the McGill University Gazette, was published by McGill undergraduates in 1874. Indicative of its time, this monthly published nineteenth century paper focused on literary merit and only published controversial material if it was written in a “gentlemanly manner.” Due to a lack of enthusiasm from students and lack of financial organization from publication staff, the newspaper ceased publication in 1890, not to be replaced by the McGill Fortnightly until 1892.

McGill Fortnightly Vol. 02 No. 01: October 12, 1893

Cover of the McGill Fortnightly Vol. 02 No. 01: October 12, 1893

The McGill Fortnightly, aptly published bi-weekly, aimed to not repeat the oversight of the Gazette through the creation of a business board and a focus on student activities. However, the Fortnightly ran for only four years, as students demanded a weekly newspaper. In the words of the editor-in-chief Lucy E. Potter in the weekly published 1898 first issue of the McGill Outlook, “no one cared to read news a fortnight old.” The McGill Outlook was a departure from the papers that preceded it, in both it’s new creative format, as well as the inclusion of the first woman editor-in-chief, the aforementioned Lucy E. Potter. The last of the pre-Daily publications was the The McGill Martlet, founded after the Outlook ceased publication due to a lack of financial support.  First published in 1908 as a “modernized” weekly, the Martlet was hugely popular. In fact, the demand for more frequent issues of the paper was so great, after only three years of publication the Martlet was transformed  into what became the longest running newspaper at McGill.

Macdonald campus student publications

By 1910, student publishing was already an institution on the McGill campus. students at the recently opened Macdonald campus felt they needed a student paper that reflected their distinct viewpoint. The Macdonald College Magazine, first published in 1910, aimed to fill this demand for a Macdonald campus student publication. Featuring not only student activities, but also agricultural trends, rural life, and scientific articles, the College Magazine and sought to acknowledge the unique experiences of “rural” McGillians. The magazine ran for over twenty years, until in 1932 the administration chose to produce a weekly newspaper and the Macdonald College Annual to give more space for news of student activities.

Failt-ye times Vol. 21 No. 17

Cover of the Failt-ye times Vol. 21 No. 17

The Failt-Ye Times introduced in 1932 was the first true student newspaper, focusing on current events and student activities at the Macdonald campus. The paper continued its run successfully into the late 1960’s, and during this period successors of The Macdonald College Magazine, The Macdonald College Journal (1940) and the Macdonald Farm Journal (1952) were published to fulfill the need for specific agricultural-related information. In 1968, during a particularly politically turbulent period, the Failt-Ye Times changed both its format and philosophy, resulted in its new incarnation, the activist-leaning The Dram. The Dram was published weekly, and was much more radical than its predecessor. The paper ran for four years, until threats of financial austerity from the Student Council and inexperienced executives, lead to the demise of the paper in 1972. The Harvest replaced The Dram in 1973, published bi-monthly or less frequently, due to reduced funding and support. The Harvest continued sporadically until 1990, when resources were decreased to the extent that the paper could no longer be produced.

The McGill Daily and the shaping of a modern student newspaper

The McGill Daily Vol. 04 No. 027: November 2, 1914

Cover of The McGill Daily Vol. 04 No. 027: November 2, 1914

While other publications were short-lived, the introduction of The McGill Daily in 1911 marked the format that would remain a fixture at McGill for over a century. The McGill Daily began, like other student papers, as a report of student activities and sports events. Published “daily” – usually four times a week, The Daily aimed to mirror The Montreal Gazette and other major newspapers of the time. By the late 1960s, The McGill Daily had become a vehicle for outspoken students, facing opposition from student government and the administration. This initial coverage of hard hitting issues like reproductive rights, the Vietnam War, and racism broke ground for the brave work continued by McGill student journalists through the 1970s until the present.

Not just The Daily: “alternative” press at McGill

Multiple other McGill student publications were also published during the The Daily’s run. The McGill Fortnightly Review was introduced as a literary newspaper in 1925 due to the success of The Daily’s literary supplement. The paper was short-lived, only lasting for two years, but it’s brief publication was memorable due to outspoken and subversive writers on staff.

The McGilliad: Vol. 1, no. 1

Cover of The McGilliad: Vol. 1, no. 1

The Fortnightly Review was succeeded by The McGilliad, a paper published monthly by the Arts Undergraduate Society from 1930-31. Like the Fortnightly Review, The McGilliad focused on “uncensored” literary works, permitting student journalists freer expression than what was traditionally afforded. Despite high-profile contributors such as Stephen Leacock, The McGilliad ceased publication due to a lack of planning and coordination. Although there is no question that other alternative small-press student publications have circulated within the twentieth century at McGill, the major alternatives to The Daily did not emerge again until the late 1960’s. During this time there was high contention between student government, the university administration, and The McGill Daily. In 1968 the editor-in-chief of The Daily was forcibly removed by the McGill Student’s Society due to strong political statements regarding the Vietnam War. The year of 1968 included a flurry of new publications, including The McGill Free Press introduced initially as a placeholder paper for The Daily while it was on hiatus. To oppose the viewpoints of The Daily and The Free Press, the McGill Students Society published a short run of it’s own paper from 1966-68, Public Address. The paper functioned to clarify misconceptions about the views of student government and contributed to the fiery banter between the multiple publications in print at McGill during this period.

The current landscape and legacy of McGill student publications

Quid Novi Vol. 33 No. 004: October 4, 2011

Cover of Quid Novi Vol. 33 No. 004: October 4, 2011

The collection of student publications also hold more current papers in addition to the historical publications. Quid Novi, is the weekly published law students paper was first published in 1981 and still continues to be published today. The paper focuses on both the activities of the student law society and provides space for “investigative journalism” into the problems within the law faculty and administration. The McGill Daily produced a weekly french edition of the paper, but in 1998 is was renamed Le Délit Français, giving a distinct identity to the francophone student publication. Le Délit aimed to not merely be a french translation of The Daily, but instead to give voice to the distinct perspective of McGill francophone students.

Student media continues to thrive at McGill, with great debt to its past. The collection of McGill student publications serves not only as a testament to the history of McGill, but also as a fascinating look at the origins of now prominent alumni. In the pages of these student newspapers, the likes of Leonard Cohen, Stephen Leacock, Otto Klineberg, Eugene Forsey, F.R. Scott, Daryl Hine, Suroosh Alvi, Adam Gopnik, and Suniti Namjoshi can be found.

 

New online: Public Address Newspaper

Guest post by Annelise Dowd. Annelise is a McGill University Master of Information Studies student who has been doing a practicum project working with the Student Publication Collection.


Public Address was a weekly student paper first published in 1966. The paper was intended to be the vocal arm of the McGill Students Society, aiming to clarify “misconceptions” about student government. These supposed misunderstandings were largely due to the criticism the student society faced in the late sixties from The McGill Daily. In 1968 the paper changed format, and focused less on the contention between student government and the student body. This revised format of the paper soon ceased publication however, with only six issues produced.

Cover page. Public address Vol. 01 No.001: February 25, 1966. McGill University.

Cover page. Public address Vol. 01 No.001: February 25, 1966. McGill University.

13 “First ” Public Address issues

v.1:no.1(1966:Feb.25)
v.1:no.2(1966:Feb.28)
v.1:no.3(1966:Mar.16)
(1966:Oct.26)
(1966:Nov.9)
(1966:Nov.21)
(1966:Dec.7)
(1967:Jan.25)
(1967:Feb.6)
(1967:Sep.29)
(1966:Oct.13)
(1967:Oct.19)
(1967:Nov.9)

6 “Updated” Public Address issues
v.1:no.1(1968:Jan.17)
v.1:no.2(1968:Jan.24)
v.1:no.3(1968:Jan.31)
v.1:no.4(1968:Feb.07)
v.1:no.5(1968:Feb.14)
v.1:no.6(1968:Feb.21)

New online: Water level and weather data for the Ganges River region (1809-1822)

Water level and weather data for the Ganges River region : a collection of six records. Authored by Captain Lachaln, Major Parlby and James Kyd. 1809-1822. Rare Books & Special Collections – Blacker-Wood Manuscripts. folio GB1339 W38 1809

From the cataloguing record: Six records, largely in tabular form, sewn together into plain brown card covers with paper cover label bearing a summary of contents; provenance bookplate of Natural History Society of Montreal

Water level and weather data for the Ganges River region : a collection of six records. Authored by Captain Lachaln, Major Parlby and James Kyd. 1809-1822. Rare Books & Special Collections – Blacker-Wood Manuscripts. folio GB1339 W38 1809

Water level and weather data for the Ganges River region : a collection of six records. Authored by Captain Lachaln, Major Parlby and James Kyd. 1809-1822. Rare Books & Special Collections – Blacker-Wood Manuscripts. folio GB1339 W38 1809

Contents:

  • Memoir, of observations of the progressive rise of the waters of the Ganges at Ghazipore during the rainy season of 1815 / by Capt. Lachlan —
  • Diary of the daily … rise & fall of the Ganges … from 1815 to 1822 both years inclusive / by Major Parlby ; with notes by Capt. Lachlan —
  • Comparative view of the rise & fall of the Bhagruttu & Ganges daily … [1809-1811] –
  • Rise & fall of the Baugrutty commencing 1st January 1822 / by Major Parlby —
  • Tide table of January and February 1815[-November and December 1820] kept … near Calcutta / by James Kyd —
  • Weather, Kedgeree, Diamond Harbour, 1819[-1820].

Other titles:

  • Memoir, of observations of the progressive rise of the waters of the Ganges at Ghazipore during the rainy season of 1815 / by Capt. Lachlan —
  • Diary of the daily … rise & fall of the Ganges … from 1815 to 1822 both years inclusive / by Major Parlby ; with notes by Capt. Lachlan —

New online: The Civilian : a fortnightly journal devoted to the interests of the Civil Service of Canada.

141 issues of the The Civilian : a fortnightly journal devoted to the interests of the Civil Service of Canada from March 1913 to November 1920 are now available through our library catalogue and the internet archive.

From the cataloguing notes: The postal journal, for a time numbered separately, appeared as part of the Civilian. It was “edited under the auspices of the Postal Clerks’ Association of the Dominion of Canada”. Latterly it was superseded by a column entitled “Postal notes.” Official publication of the Civil Service Federation of Canada, 1917-July 1920; of the Associated Federal Employees of Ottawa, Aug. 1920-1921. Established and edited by Frank Grierson, May 1908-Mar. 1920.

The Civilian : a fortnightly journal devoted to the interests of the Civil Service of Canada. v.7:no.6(1914:Jul.10)

The Civilian : a fortnightly journal devoted to the interests of the Civil Service of Canada. v.7:no.6(1914:Jul.10)

 

The Civilian : a fortnightly journal devoted to the interests of the Civil Service of Canada. v.9:no.16(1916:Nov.24)

The Civilian : a fortnightly journal devoted to the interests of the Civil Service of Canada. v.9:no.16(1916:Nov.24)

The Civilian : a fortnightly journal devoted to the interests of the Civil Service of Canada. v.13:no.4(1920:Mar)

The Civilian : a fortnightly journal devoted to the interests of the Civil Service of Canada. v.13:no.4(1920:Mar)

Osler material added to the Medical Heritage Library

We are please to announced we’ve partnered with Medical Heritage Library and joined some of the world’s leading medical libraries in making our digitized content available in their collaborative digital library. One of the biggest advantages of these aggregate digital libraries is not only being able to do a full text search across multiple collections at a time but you can also download the records in JSON, XML and CSV format.

We’ve submitted our first batch of material from our Osler Library of the History of Medicine collection which includes 37 handwritten notebooks from Sir William Olser, Clare Gass’s diary from 1915-1916 and various Arabic and Persian medicinal texts such as this 11th century ophthalmology text.

Note found inside Kitāb Tadhkirat al-Kaḥḥālīn by by Kaḥḥāl, ʻAlī ibn ʻĪsá, -1038 or 1039. Osler Library of the History of Medicine. Manuscript 389/27

Note found inside Kitāb Tadhkirat al-Kaḥḥālīn by by Kaḥḥāl, ʻAlī ibn ʻĪsá, -1038 or 1039. Osler Library of the History of Medicine. Manuscript 389/27

The phrenological almanac for 1841 : embellished with fifty engravings, illustrative of the science of phrenology by Fowler, L. N. (Lorenzo Niles), 1811-1896. Osler Library of the History of Medicine. Fowler 1841

The phrenological almanac for 1841 : embellished with fifty engravings, illustrative of the science of phrenology by Fowler, L. N. (Lorenzo Niles), 1811-1896. Osler Library of the History of Medicine. Fowler 1841

 

Colour our collections (again)!

#ColorOurCollections / #ColourOurCollections week is back from February 6 to 10, 2017! We had so much fun with this campaign last year we couldn’t wait to put out some new pages.

McGill #ColourOutCollections

McGill #ColourOurCollections

This year we’ve created three pages for you to download and colour.

  1. Partie orientale du Canada ou de la Nouvelle France by Vincenzo Coronelli. (1689)
  2. Vedute di Roma by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1769?)
  3. Library of McGill University bookplate. The Wood Library of Ornithology. (1921)

When you’ve finished your masterpiece we encourage you to share them on social media using the event hashtag #ColorOurCollections or tag us on twitter @McGillLib. It’s been fun seeing what everyone comes up with!

#ColorOurCollections was a campaign spearheaded last year by by the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM), the New York Public Library (NYPL), the Smithsonian Libraries and the Biodiversity Heritage Library.