I’m sitting in Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC), in the basement of Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, and I hold in my hands a piece of literary history. I’m holding the second draft manuscript of a novel called Under The Volcano by English writer Malcolm Lowry.
Wandering through the aisles of the MOA and allowing my mind to wander with me, impulsively opening drawers at a whim and enjoying the unexpected findings is the perfect way to decompress.
This time on Hidden Treasures, we dive into Oceania and the various aspects of their many cultures: weapons, ceremonies, and human subjects.
Graphics let the author or artist and the reader share a world in a more intimate manner. Many of the hidden treasures within Rare Books and Special Collection have graphic elements and display eclectic and stunning art styles.
My notebook gets weighed upon entering and leaving Rare Books, to ensure no tome stows away to the wider world; the stories and dust linger with me instead.
Many aren’t aware of the intriguing artifacts that rest on campus and often times are only found when searching through MOA for over an hour.
The myriad of objects stored away in these display cases rarely sees much traffic from students, but for those who are willing to venture into depths of IKB, there is a world of treasures waiting.
The Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) is one of a kind library: where books aren’t taken out, but instead are there to look and touch only.
Hidden away in Irving K. Barber Library, the Rare Books and Special Collections section of the UBC Library has hundreds upon hundreds of materials so fancy that no one is even allowed to browse them without asking first.
Hidden Treasures is an ongoing column dedicated to finding some of the best-kept secrets that MOA has to offer.
The overwhelming majority of the 10,000 objects which are available for the public to view are semi-hidden within those copper handled drawers.
