UBC Rare Books and Special Collection (UBC RBSC) Library is found on the 1st floor of Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. It is a closed-stack collection, so you have to request an item, and a librarian will find it for you!

Dr. H. Rocke Robertson (1912-1998) collection is one of the special collections at RBSC. Dr. H. Rocke Robertson became interested in lexicography and avidly collected English dictionaries. In 1989, he donated most of this collection to UBC. This collection spans the history of the English dictionary, consisting of over 350 dictionaries and encyclopedias! This collection can be viewed at UBC RBSC. See the site for more information if you are interested in visiting! Click here for more information about the collection.

Inner cover of Blount’s Glossographia, 1661 edition

Blount’s Glossographia is only one of the many diverse works in this collection. The collection also contains other editions of Glossographia, including the 1670 edition, and the fifth edition published in 1681.