Feb 10, 2023

Heather Feeney, Collections and Exhibits Manager at the Maritime Museum of BC, stands with a collections volunteer as they look at ships’ plans in the collection.

The Maritime Museum of BC has received a grant of $17,000 from the Museum Assistance Program under Canadian Heritage. This grant will be used to be purchase a new large format scanner that will enable the Maritime Museum of BC to scan large archival materials in the collection such as ships’ plans, charts, and newspapers.

“This is a game changer for us,” said Heather Feeney, Collections and Exhibits Manager at the Maritime Museum of BC. “We have a large collection of ships’ plans and charts in our collection, most of which are not currently digitized. A large format scanner will allow us to digitize these scans on site, saving us staff time and making the collection more accessible to the general public through our research request program. Since our ships’ plans are some of our most frequently requested items, we anticipate the new scanner will be a major benefit for the public as we can more effectively and efficiently process requests for these items.”

The Maritime Museum of BC has approximately 35,000 ships’ plans and over 2,000 maps and charts, in addition to a large 40,000 object collection and an extensive library and archives. It makes this collection available to the public through rotating public exhibits and a research request program available to any member of the public.

The Maritime Museum of BC also offers a range of public programs, events, and activities for all ages. As a charitable non-profit organization, the Maritime Museum of BC operates largely on government grants and private donations.

INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC
Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 AM – 5 PM
Location: 744 Douglas Street
Website: mmbc.bc.ca