The New Brunswickana Project arose out of a practical desire on the part of UNB Libraries to be comprehensive in the collection and preservation of materials published within the borders of our province, and of materials by New Brunswick authors or about New Brunswick published elsewhere. This was simply a renewed focus as it has always been an important mission of UNB Libraries to be the “keepers” of the province’s published heritage. Indeed this commitment has been articulated as our contribution to the preservation of recorded knowledge by libraries worldwide.
A project that started out with the single focus of filling gaps in our print holdings took a different turn when it became obvious that a significant amount of bibliographic work would be required to identify missing titles. The findings of that research could serve other scholars engaged in their own New Brunswick studies.
The overarching goals for the New Brunswickana Project at UNB Libraries grew over time and they now number four:
- to build a physical collection, for research and preservation, of all published English-language materials fitting the definition of New Brunswickana;
- to bring New Brunswick bibliography up to date (through the publication of the New Brunswick Bibliography Series and the creation of a New Brunswick Bibliography Database);
- to identify priorities for digitization by UNB Libraries’ Centre for Digital Scholarship, and through digitization, to make rare materials more easily accessible;
- and to ensure that both the collecting itself, and the bibliographic work that supports it, are operationalized so that the work endures over time and that it is both funded and resourced appropriately.
Ultimately, the New Brunswickana Project seeks to enrich public discourse within the province by shining a new light on the history of the province. With the availability of new knowledge, we can begin as a society to confront and find creative solutions to our challenges. The project also seeks to strengthen the New Brunswick voice in the national conversation by correcting many unwarranted negative perceptions of the province based on a lack of information/knowledge about this part of the world.