Collections

Woodward Library actively acquires print and electronic materials in support of learning and research in the Faculties of Applied Science, Dentistry, Forestry, Land & Food Systems, Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Science. The collection covers a range of subject areas, including agriculture, biology, botany, chemistry, computer science, dentistry, earth and ocean sciences, engineering, food science, forestry, mathematics, medicine, nursing, nutrition, pharmacy, physics, public health, statistics, wood science and zoology.

If you would like to recommend a purchase for the Woodward collection, please complete the suggestion form.

If you would like to donate books, please contact: wd.donations@ubc.ca

Locations

Although much of the collection is housed at Woodward Library, you will find the following materials in other library locations.

  • Electronic journals and monographs are available online through the UBC Library website. Use Open Athens to authenticate.
  • Clinical monographs and print journals to support learning and research at Vancouver General Hospital are available at the Biomedical Branch Library in the Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre.
  • Monographs and print journals related to computer science, mathematics and statistics will be found in the Library at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.
  • The rare and historical medicine and science collection, formerly housed at Woodward, is located at Rare Books & Special Collections at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.
  • Older monographs and print journals in all disciplines may be located in the ASRS (Automated Storage & Retrieval System) at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre or Library PARC. Items can be requested online for pick-up.

Notable Collections

  • We purchase print and electronic books throughout the year. For a selection of new titles, please see the New Books list.
  • In addition to acquiring scholarly materials, Woodward Library participates in UBC Library’s Great Reads program, offering a collection of popular non-fiction and fiction related to the disciplines we serve.
  • The Harry Hawthorn Collection is a collection of more than 2400 books, including rare and unique items, related to fly fishing and angling. The collection is supported by the Harry Hawthorn Foundation which was established in 1953 as a result of a fishing holiday with Roderick Haig-Brown and eight UBC professors.
  • The William C. Gibson History of Medicine and Science Collection was named for Dr. William C. Gibson in 1988 in recognition of his efforts as the first Head of UBC’s Division of the History of Medicine and Science (1959-1978) in creating the historical book collection.
  • The Gerald W. Korn Obstetrics & Gynecology Collection is a fine collection of early obstetrics, gynecology and midwifery books gifted by Dr. Korn in 1976.
  • The Peggy Sutherland Memorial Library Endowment supports on-line resources acquisitions in the areas of nursing, allied health, breast cancer, and women’s health. It was established in 2000 with a $1 million donation from the Sutherland Foundation as a tribute to Mrs. Peggy Sutherland.
  • The Rodger Stanton Memorial Library Endowment supports the purchase of collections for Woodward and the Biomedical Branch Libraries in honour of Rodger Stanton (1930-1977), a BC surgeon. Dr. Stanton attended the UBC Faculty of Medicine in 1956 before interning in internal medicine in Michigan and Washington. He returned to BC in 1958, and spent the next 19 years working as a surgeon and coroner at practices throughout BC before passing away in 1977. To honour his memory, a library trust was founded in 1978 at St. Paul’s Hospital to acquire resources for hospital staff. In 1998, the Sutherland Foundation donated an additional $1 million to create the Rodger Stanton Memorial Library Collection. In 2001, the endowment moved to UBC.