PRESERVING OUR PAST
Culture And Tourism Minister Ricardo Miranda and university of calgary president elizabeth cannon announced on wednesday the creation of the glenbow western research centre, moving archives from the glenbow museum to the taylor family digital library on campus and the high-density library in spy hill.
Thousands of archived books, photographs, photos and historic collections will be transported to two state-of-the-art facilities, ensuring Calgary ’s history will be preserved with integrity.
The University of Calgary is announcing the creation of the Glenbow Western Research Centre, moving archives from as far back as the 1800s all the way to the 1990s from the Glenbow Museum to the Taylor Family Digital Library on campus and the high-density library in Spy Hill.
“This is an incredibly extensive collection — lined up it would be about 5.5 kilometres of books, reports, journals, about two million photographs, 15,000 maps, and videos as well,” said Elizabeth Cannon, U of C president.
“It captures the West from the 1860s to the 1990s, covering the history of this region in so many dimensions.
“To have such an extensive collection and having it be accessible to students, scholars and the community is a wonderful opportunity for us, and it’s terrific for the city of Calgary and beyond.”
A portion of the massive collection will be cycled through an accessible storefront location on the second floor of the Taylor Family Digital Library, offering breakout rooms and white gloves for handling especially fragile pieces.
But the bulk of the collection will be housed at the U of C, complete with perfect humidity and temperatures to ensure quality preservation.
“Given the immensity of the archives, the majority of the collection will reside at the high-density library located at Spy Hill, a facility we’ve just recently expanded with the right temperature and the right humidity,” Cannon said.
Archivists and other professionals will work at both sites, ensuring the collection is preserved in perpetuity. And those who want to access something that’s not at the storefront can have it delivered from the Spy Hill centre.
“Accessibility is key — it’s all about getting the materials out to the community.”
The cost of the complex move from the downtown Glenbow to U of C and Spy Hill was made possible thanks to a generous donation from Bill Siebens, a prominent oilman who pioneered the oil boom in Alberta. He founded Siebens Oil and Gas Ltd. and is known for owning part of the historic OH Ranch.
“Our history goes way back to the farmers, ranchers, RCMP, politicians and the oil and gas industry of this area,” he said.
“It’s very valuable and I was lucky to be part of it — it’s been one hell of a transformation.”