British Columbia’s 4.6 million residents now have free perpetual access to the Gale Digital Archive Collections – a database of nearly 200 million pages of digital historical content – as part of a unique agreement arranged by UBC Library, the University of Victoria Libraries and Simon Fraser University Library.

These resources will enrich learning and research in subject disciplines including interdisciplinary studies, Canadian, American, British and World History from 1400-2012, English, Journalism, Political Studies, First Nations Studies, Science Technology and Medicine, Women and Gender Studies, Theatre Studies, and History of Banking and Finance.

“Working with BC Electronic Library Network (BC ELN), local public, academic, school or museum libraries in BC can appreciate and access these resources as much as our faculty and students can at our universities,” notes Ingrid Parent, UBC’s University Librarian. “This is a great example of how shared collaborations with a vendor can have a positive impact on library users.”

Content in the database includes digitized versions of periodicals such as the Economist, the Financial Times, and Associated Press content, as well as digitized materials from The Smithsonian Institution.

A full list of the resources available can be found by visiting the Gale Digital Collections e-catalog.

UBC students, faculty and staff can access and start using these digital historical archives via UBC Library or the Points to the Past website. Members of the public can visit their local library branch to use the collections.

List of collections

• The Economist, 1842-2009
• Financial Times (Global News), 1888-2009
• The LISTENER (News & Op/Ed of BBC), 1929-1991
• Illustrated London News, 1842-2003
• Picture Post (UK – Similar to LIFE), 1938-1957
• PUNCH, 1841-1992 (British – Humour / Satire / Commentary)
• Daily Mail (Conservative Newspaper – London), 1896-2004
• The Independent (Newspaper – London), 1896-2009
• The Times (London), 1785-2007
• The SUNDAY Times, 1821-2006
• The Times Literary Supplement (TLS), 1902-2008
• British Library Newspapers, 19th Century I
• British Library Newspapers, 19th Century II
• British Newspapers III, 1785-1920
• British Newspapers IV, 1785-1920
• 17th & 18th Century Burney Collection of UK Newspapers
• 19th C. UK Periodicals I: Women’s, Children’s, Humour, Leisure
• 19th C. UK Periodicals II: Empire/Colonial, Travel, Culture, Missions
• Liberty Magazine, 1924-1950
• 19th Century US Newspapers
• Associated Press 1: News Features & Internal Communications (1848-2000)
• Associated Press 2: D.C. Bureau Collection (1915-1930, 1952-1996)
• Associated Press 3: U.S. Cities Bureaus Collection (1931-2004)
• Eighteenth Century Collection Online (ECCO) I + II
• The Making of the Modern World I + II, 1450-1930
• Sabin Americana, History & Culture, 1476-1926
• Nineteenth Century Collection Online (NCCO), PARTS 1-4
• Nineteenth Century Collection Online (NCCO), PARTS 5-8
• Nineteenth Century Collection Online (NCCO), PARTS 9-12
• CHATHAM HOUSE Online I, 1920-1979
• CHATHAM HOUSE Online II, 1979-2008
• State Papers Online I, 1509-1603: Tudor Domestic
• State Papers Online II, 1509-1603: Tudor Foreign
• State Papers Online III, 1603-1714: Stuart Domestic
• State Papers Online IV, 1603-1714: Stuart Foreign
• State Papers Online, 18th Century I, 1714-1782: Domestic
• British Literary Manuscripts I, 1660-1900
• British Literary Manuscripts II, Medieval & Renaissance
• Indigenous Peoples: North America
• Smithsonian 1: World’s Fairs and Expositions: Visions of Tomorrow
• Smithsonian 2: Trade Literature: The Merchandising of Industry
• Smithsonian (Magazine 1970-2010) + Air & Space (1986-2010)
• Slavery & Anti-Slavery 1: Debates – Slavery & Abolition
• Slavery & Anti-Slavery 2: Slave Trade in Atlantic World
• Slavery & Anti-Slavery 3: Institution of Slavery
• Slavery & Anti-Slavery 4: Age of Emancipation
• De-Classified Documents Reference System (DDRS)