Ethnologue Database Not Working

Ethnologue: Languages of the World database is current not working and a “HTTP ERROR 503 Cannot contact upstream server” error is appearing.

We are working to solve the issue.

New Books at the Law Library – 24/03/26

LAW LIBRARY level 3: HD62.6 .M358 2023 Keith Seel & Wenjue Knutsen, eds., Management of Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations in Canada, 5th ed. (Toronto: LexisNexis Canada Inc., 2023). LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): HG1641 .H26 2022 Lee M. Shaiman & Bridget K. Marsh, eds., The Handbook of Loan Syndications and Trading, 2nd ed. (New […]

Law Library Easter Holiday Hours 2024

March 29Closed
March 3010 am - 6 pm
March 3110 am - 6 pm
April 1Closed

Regular hours resume April 2.

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Giving Day 2024

On UBC Giving Day, April 4, we come together to support UBC students and our world. This year’s Giving Day project at the library involves the UBC Undergraduate Prize in Library Research, help the next generation of leaders to be informed knowledge seekers.

New Books at the Law Library – 24/03/19

LAW LIBRARY level 3: HV6535.C32 N647 2023
J. Michael MacDonald, Leanne J. Fitch & Kim Stanton, Turning the Tide Together: The Final Report of the Mass Casualty Commission (Halifax: Joint Federal/Provincial Commission into the April 2020 Nova Scotia Mass Casualty, 2023).
Online access: https://masscasualtycommission.ca/final-report/

LAW LIBRARY level 3:K1094.3 .W66 2019
Philip R. Wood, International Loans, Bonds, Guarantees and Legal Opinions, 3rd ed. (London: Sweet & Maxwell, 2019).

LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KD432 .I58 2012
Simon Halliday, An Introduction to the Study of Law (Edinburgh: W. Green, 2012).

LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KD680 .D5 2022
Lord Collins of Mapesbury & Jonathan Harris, Dicey, Morris and Collins on the Conflict of Laws, 16th ed. (London: Sweet & Maxwell/Thomson Reuters, 2022). ,

LAW LIBRARY level 3: KE3734 .F65 2023
Lorne Folick, Michael Libby & Paul Dawson, Liquor and Cannabis Liability Law in Canada, 2nd. (Toronto: Thomson Reuters, 2023).

LAW LIBRARY level 3: KE9335 .H37 2023
Robert S. Harrison & Richard B. Swan, Skillful Witness Examinations in Civil and Arbitration Cases: Discoveries, Directs and Cross-Examinations (Toronto: Thomson Reuters, 2023)

LAW LIBRARY level 3: KEO261.C65 A87 2023
Harvey M. Haber, Robert D. Malen, eds., Assignment, Subletting and Change of Control in a Commercial Lease: A Practical Guide, 2nd ed. (Toronto: Thomson Reuters Canada, 2023).

LAW LIBRARY level 3: KJE3387 .P46 2022
Frans Pennings, European Social Security Law, 7th ed. (Cambridge: Intersentia, 2022).

How a Composer was Reunited with a Long-lost Score

It’s not every day that you hear of a librarian reuniting a composer with their long-lost work. Incredibly, this is exactly what happened when a paper score that needed some TLC was brought to UBC Music Librarian Kevin Madill late last year. I spoke with Kevin, who is the Music Librarian at UBC’s Music, Art & Architecture Library, to get the behind-the-scenes story of how Taiwanese composer Ya-Wen Lien was able to be reunited with a long-lost score through UBC Library, and how two of his scores were subsequently made available through UBC’s Open Collections.

In late 2023, a UBC percussion ensemble who were performing the piece Overture for Six Drummers by composer Ya-Wen Lien brought the score to Madill to be replaced due the paper having become creased and crumpled from repeated use. Unfortunately, there was no readily available information on the publisher of this score or where a new copy could be procured.

At this point, Madill turned to the Taiwanese Composer Database to investigate with hopes of simply contacting the composer, and determining the publisher information. Luckily, he was able to contact Lien, the composer of the piece, and spoke with him through a third party who translated their communication. This is when he learned that Lien himself was no longer in possession of the score as it had been lost over 20 years ago in a flood. Lien then asked Madill if UBC would be able to digitize the score and send him the scans.

Madill then got into contact with our very own Rob Stibravy, one of the Digital Projects Librarians here at the Digitization Centre! The score did not need any restoration or preservation intervention and Photoshop could be used to enhance the image and reduce any signs of wear and tear in order to make the piece easy for musicians to download and read. Ultimately, with some collaboration, the score was digitized and Lien was able to have possession of the score he thought was lost all those years ago.

As a gesture of thanks, Lien gave UBC permission to publish the score, along with another of his scores, Overture (2012), to UBC’s Open Collections. In order for any item to be made available through Open Collections there must either be express consent from the copyright holder, or the item must be within the public domain. In the case of Lien’s scores, the items could not have been legally uploaded as open access without express consent since they are not (and are nowhere near being) in the public domain. So, Lien’s permission was paramount to these scores now being available for download and able to be played and enjoyed by many.

Overture for Six Drummers

Overture for Six Drummers is a full score, meaning that each line contains the music for a specific instrument. The piece was written to include snare drums, bongos/congas, tom-toms, timpani, wood drums, and a bass drum.

Overture (2012)

Overture (2012) is the additional Score that Lien provided permission for UBC to publish in Open Collections. This is also a full score, and includes music for eleven percussion instruments: tom tom, wood Block, bongos, conga, cowbell, timpani, Chinese cymbal, Chinese paidrum, Chinese yiun-gong and bass drum, and tambourine.

Libraries and archives are integral to the preservation of art, culture, history, and knowledge, and it is paramount that professional relationships be born of respect, collaboration, and care. Otherwise, beautiful stories such as this one would not be possible.

I would like to express my gratitude to Kevin Madill for taking the time to speak with me for this blog post.

Thank you for reading!