news.library.ualberta.ca
  • BLOG HOME
  • About
    • Author Profiles
    • Five Things You Need to Know About the Library
    • Cinq choses à savoir sur la bibliothèque
  • Collections
  • Community
  • Wellness
  • Français
    • Cinq choses à savoir sur la bibliothèque
news.library.ualberta.ca
  • BLOG HOME
  • About
    • Author Profiles
    • Five Things You Need to Know About the Library
    • Cinq choses à savoir sur la bibliothèque
  • Collections
  • Community
  • Wellness
  • Français
    • Cinq choses à savoir sur la bibliothèque
CommunityDigital CollectionsNews

Welcome to the New Peel’s Prairie Provinces

by Guest Author December 4, 2023
written by Guest Author December 4, 2023
0 comment
0
FacebookLinkedinRedditWhatsappEmail

Written by Michaela Morrow, Digitization Assistant

The library is happy to announce the launch of a new version of our longtime website, Peel’s Prairie Provinces. This digital collection has been updated and migrated to the Internet Archive for better access, quality, and research.

Screen capture of the new Peel homepage.
The new Peel’s Prairie Provinces website.

What is Peel’s Prairie Provinces?

Peel’s Prairie Provinces (or “Peel”) is a digital collection of materials related to Western Canada. The collection includes rare and hard-to-find primary sources such as newspapers, postcards, journals, and maps. The goal of the collection is to provide a comprehensive, accessible research repository for the history of Western Canada, told through everything from official government documents to personal family papers. The University of Alberta has digitized materials from both our physical holdings and other Western Canadian institutions. The collection is mainly made up of English language sources, but other languages are present as well.

Edmonton Folk Music Program from 2009, featuring music-themed graphic art.
An Edmonton Folk Music Program from 2009

Highlights

The variety of media in Peel’s Prairie Provinces provides plenty of exciting things to look at. We have hundreds of maps and postcards – and some recipes, too – providing valuable insight into the settler colonial history of Canada. We also have newspapers highlighting events and stories in towns, cities, and Indigenous communities. We have more recent material too. Our collection holds programs and advertisements for beloved events like the Edmonton Folk Music Festival and the Festival du Voyageur in St. Boniface. The representation of local and cultural events is one of Peel’s greatest strengths!

What’s New?

We recently moved the digital files hosted on our website to the Internet Archive. The Internet Archive offers expanded options for browsing, viewing, and disseminating the collection. It is now easier to search and filter through information like year, author, and title. The Internet Archive’s interface also makes it easier to flip through books and zoom in on detailed maps and photos. 

Screen capture of a topographic map of western Canada, displaying some new usability features.
Some features available with the new platform: including “Search Inside”, “Downloadable Files”, “Bookmarks”, “Visual Adjustments” (shown here), and “Share”. Example from a map of western Canada.

Downloading full-size files or data is much simpler. There are also a number of accessibility features now available: changing the color contrast of the files in the viewer, selecting read-aloud options for hard-to-read text, and downloading EPUB files for e-readers.

The Value of Digitization

It is often difficult to access historical materials and primary sources because the materials can be rare, fragile, and otherwise hard to reach in person. Peel is primarily made up of primary sources – putting the collection on a public website like the Internet Archive makes these rare materials available to a wider audience. Digitized collections are also great for addressing accessibility needs. Physical travel is no longer required and different file types and options can be used to increase readability. Some of the materials are also borrowed  from different physical collections, so digitizing and mounting them online is a great way to connect and collect all the sources in one place for everyone to see.  

Essentially, it is easier than ever to access our materials and learn more about the history of Canada’s Prairie Provinces! If you have any questions about Peel or this migration, contact us at digitization@ualberta.ca.

Peel is not our only collection! We also host other digital collections on the Internet Archive.

This content is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Creative Commons licence.

digital collectionshistoryresearchWestern Canada
0 comment
0
FacebookLinkedinRedditWhatsappEmail
Guest Author

previous post
La couverture ne fait pas le livre : Auteurs africains
next post
Browsing our Collections – Mysteries 

You may also like

Asian Heritage Month: Celebration of Asian Cinema

May 6, 2025

Aviary:  Héberger, préserver et promouvoir vos balados

April 28, 2025

Aviary: Hosting, Preserving, and Promoting Your Podcasts

April 28, 2025

University of Alberta Library Wrap Up

April 24, 2025

Explorer nos collections : Découvrez le Bédéiste Fabien...

April 4, 2025

Images of Research Competition and Exhibition Returns For...

April 1, 2025

Media Lab Spotlight: Introducing “Behind the Labs” podcast

March 24, 2025

Journée internationale du bonheur

March 19, 2025

Empowering Research: How the University of Alberta Library...

March 17, 2025

Renforcer la recherche : Comment la bibliothèque de...

March 17, 2025

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Instagram Corner

No any image found. Please check it again or try with another instagram account.

Categories

  • Collections (238)
    • Borrowing (64)
    • Collection Connection (5)
    • Digital Collections (102)
    • Special Collections (5)
  • Community (428)
    • Awards (15)
    • Events (28)
    • Exhibits (16)
    • News (21)
    • Staff (64)
  • Digital Services (21)
  • Français (146)
  • Wellness (39)
    • Dogs in the Library (5)

BLOG ARCHIVES

About Me

  • Instagram
  • Youtube

@2020- University of Alberta Library
The University of Alberta is situated on traditional Treaty 6 territory and homeland of the Métis peoples. Amiskwaciwâskahikan / ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᕀᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ / Edmonton


Back To Top