SciFi Motherlode Donated to Canadian University

Freshly Exhumed writes: "SciFan aficionados might soon be lining up to study at the University of Calgary due to an amazing donation: A massive collection of science fiction and pulp magazines spanning the last century has been donated to the University of Calgary which officials say will be a boon for literary and pop culture research. William Gibson had spent many of his 92 years sealing his prized collection in plastic, leaving behind a true motherlode of science fiction writings."

Comments

donations

[Barbarian]

They have a page on donations here, nothing specific about the library but I'm sure you could specify that a donation is for the library.

Re:doubtful

[Flamerule]

The article:

University staff were stunned by the size of the donation: upwards of 35,000 volumes dating back to the 19th century [...] It ranges from 19th century Jules Verne [...]

Kyzia said some of it should get to ibiblio, and since some of it is from the 19th century, that's eminently reasonable. That "very little science fiction" includes authors like Jules Verne, whose stuff is already available online, courtesy of Project Gutenberg. And while we're visiting the 19th century, though the article doesn't mention him, also freely available are the works of H.G. Wells.

Not *the* William Gibson?!?!

[djshiawase]

When I first saw this, was I the only one who panicked and thought, "No, not him!" I'm referring, of course, to cyberpunk founder William Gibson. But a quick look at the article tells me it isn't him - anyway I know he's been around a while now, but certainly not 92 years of age!

I've been looking forward to the first book of his 'noughties trilogy'. As well as the slow progression (but certainly inevitable!) of Neuromancer and the Zen Differential, based on Count Zero, to the silver screen.

A big sigh of relief, and what a big boon to our understanding of the past's view of the future, it's now when hindsight truly makes the hopes and fears of past people known.

Who will save the Ackermansion?

[Comrade Pikachu]

It may be off topic, but Forrest J. Ackerman's marvellous collection of books, artwork, and movie memorabilia is currently being auctioned to bits on Ebay.

Apparently Forrey needs some cash to retire. Sure would be nice if a benefactor could step in and preserve the collection intact. Visit the Ackermansion here.

Larger than MIT's collection?

[patiwat]

At 35,000 volumes, that donation certainly makes the Calgary collection larger than the MIT Science Fiction Society's collection. The MITSFS Collection has approximately 25,000 volumes, and is growing. I guess when the Gibson Donation is processed and shelved, it would take away the MITSFS's status as the world's largest open-shelved science fiction collection.

The size of the Gibson Donation is quite astonishing. The MITSFS Collection supposedly has 90% of all english-language science fiction ever published, and we have deals with the publishing companies to get a copy of every new SF book that comes out - often before the bookstores get them. I guess the Calgary donation has a lot of stuff that we totally overlooked (the Saturday Evening Post stuff), or else a lot of foreign language stuff (MITSFS isn't so strong on Japanese science fiction manga, for instance). If anybody is ever up in Cambridge, check the opening times, and stop by.

Patiwat Panurach
patiwat@sloan.mit.edu

Re:digitize?

[topham]

There is a compression/file format called MrSID. It is very impressive. My mother access a website which has scanned copies of Census data from the 1800's, etc. These are huge archives, but the files are only about 150K per page (or less!). These are high-resolution scans. I was very impressed.

Now the GPS/mapping software I use supports it, but I have no way to create MrSID files, or I would.

Photos of the collection, etc.

[MarvinMouse]

U of Calgary has a great press release @

http://www.fp.ucalgary.ca/unicomm/news/gibson/

with photos of the collection and more. it's really cool, actually.