Library:Help for Alumni
Visit the Library
Whether you are on campus for a day or just stopping by, the Library has much for you to explore. From the exceptional Chung Collection exhibition, to beautiful art in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, to guest access for computers and electronic resources, there is something for everyone. For tours of the Library, contact library.communications@ubc.ca
Borrowing Privileges
UBC Library invites you to stay in touch and connect with us. Alumni who come to the campus may search the Library's catalogue, connect to online article indexes and electronic texts, consult books, journals and other materials, attend a training session, and obtain basic information and reference assistance, all free of charge. Use the Library's resources to pursue your own goals for learning or to develop new research skills.
The Library is pleased to offer free community borrower privileges to UBC alumni who have registered for access with alumni UBC. . Community Borrower Library Cards normally cost $120 per year.
- Remote access to most online resources is restricted by license agreements to current UBC students, faculty, and staff only.
- NEW: Online database access for EBSCO Academic Search and Business Source Alumni Editions for all UBC alumni
UBC Library
UBC Library is the second largest research library in Canada and includes 15 branches and divisions, including the UBC Point Grey campus and off-campus locations at Vancouver General Hospital and the UBC Okanagan campus.
The Library's collections include more than 7.8 million items in print and electronic format, not including print and electronic journals and series subscriptions, microform, documents, maps, archived materials, media and other items.
UBC Library also has the largest biomedical collection in Western Canada and the largest collection of Asian language materials in the country. It is a depository library for publications of the governments of BC, Canada, Japan and the United Nations.
For more information, see About UBC Library
Where to obtain your UBC Alumni Card or App
Download your free alumni UBC App from the App Store or Google Play.
Physical Alumni Cards are available for those who cannot use the app:
- in person at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre, 6163 University Boulevard
- in person at the UBC Okanagan Library service desk
Present your Alumni App or Card at Walter C. Koerner Library in Point Grey, or to the Okanagan Library in Kelowna along with one piece of government issued photo ID to complete your registration as a Library borrower.
In addition to Library privileges, the Alumni App/Card entitles you to discounts on other campus services. For more information, contact the UBC Alumni Association.
Please note that these Library privileges are for Alumni Association members' personal use only, and may not be transferred to other family members or used for business purposes.
Electronic Resources
In UBC Libraries
UBC Library computers require users to log in with a CWL or an OpenAthens account. Community members, alumni and public users can obtain a generic OpenAthens access account or apply for their own OpenAthens account from the circulation desk at the branch they are visiting.
While community borrowers, alumni and public users can access most electronic resources (databases, ejournals, ebooks, etc.) from UBC Library computers, there are some resources that are restricted to current students, faculty and staff.
Off-Campus
The UBC catalogue, research guides and many other open access resources are available to all from anywhere. Remote access to most databases is restricted by license agreements to current UBC students, staff and faculty.
Selected resources have been licensed for access by UBC Alumni. Alumni with a CWL can access these resources. If you do not yet have a CWL you can see more information about getting one here.
Available to Alumni:
- Library Electronic Resources: databases, journals and ebooks from scholarly and academic publishers world-wide
Available to all:
- Open-Access Resources: provided by the Library, available to anyone on- and off-campus, regardless of whether they have a library card.
- Open Collections: created and maintained by the Library, with a range of digital resources that document a diverse range of people, places, activities and events, and serve as an important online resource for historians, genealogists and other researchers.
- cIRcle: UBC’s online repository, features articles, conference papers, theses and dissertations, multimedia and audio-visual materials, and more.
- Webcasts Portal: of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, provides high-quality learning and research-based lectures on an open-access platform.
Assistance
Reference assistance and Library workshops and training sessions are available free of charge. Alumni are welcome to attend library training sessions; however some subject-specific sessions may be limited to students and faculty.
Classes for groups of alumni can be arranged, for a fee. For further information contact the UBC Alumni Association.