Working with our editorial team
Our editors combine passion for archival materials, the humanities, and social sciences with a heartfelt belief that digitisation widens access to historically significant content.
We are committed to publishing resources that fulfil the research needs of the academic community, working closely with archival partners to create AM collections.
Why partner with AM
There are many benefits to participating in an AM resource. We fund digitisation, remunerate archives, provide high quality digital surrogates and new metadata, and commit to marketing the resource worldwide.
When conceptualising resources and licensing archival material from our partners, time spent in the archive is key. We carry out full physical reviews of all archival material prior to digitisation. This work allows us to understand the content and conservation needs of collections, and ensures archival materials are safely digitised.
Because each repository and collection is unique, we consult archive partners early to get input on relevant content. We outline our resource vision and curators help identify suitable collections, highlight sought-after materials, and offer insights on the wider context of their collections, their discoverability, and organisation.
Archival material is taken from physical to digital form to create a resource that meets the needs of students, researchers, and instructors. We arrange specialist heritage digitisation, ensure all images are rigorously checked, and start to build the site.
We commission essays, exhibitions, and video interviews from subject experts to contextualise the primary source material, drawing out key documents and highlighting diverse narratives.
We work closely with our in-house software engineers to enhance the user experience and showcase the sources using innovative features within the AM Quartex platform, including OCR for printed material and HTR for manuscripts.
We create detailed and robust metadata for the materials to aid discovery and navigation, adding further bibliographic information such as content descriptions, themes, subjects, or keywords.
Digitising physical archives
Successful digitisation projects are central to the creation of AM resources. Our processes and specifications are the result of decades of experience working with archives and digitisation vendors.
We approach projects with the dual aim of achieving high quality images and ensuring absolute care and attention is paid to the condition and handling of unique, historic collections. Our digitisation team works closely with editors to gain a deep understanding of the physical material in every project, and to liaise with archives on handling, conservation requirements, and logistics of the digitisation process.
Preserving your archive
Understanding that physical preservation of archival material is paramount, we liaise closely with your archive to determine conservation needs and requirements in preparation for the digitisation process.
We have a deep understanding of the complex handling requirements of archival material and provide regular staff training on conservation methods and best practices. During collection assessments, we compile condition notes that can support you in your conservation assessment and help to inform necessary handling techniques and digitisation equipment.
AM has strong relationships with specialist digitisation partners around the world and considers the most suitable vendors based on the requirements for each project.
Our partner vendors are experts in high-end digitisation techniques and are skilled at handling sensitive and fragile historic material.
An array of scanning and photographic equipment is used across our vendors, suitable for specialist heritage capture and complying with industry standards to offer exceptional image quality.
Working with the heritage community
Our digitisation specialists are fully engaged with industry standards and innovations in the field of heritage digitisation. In addition to keeping abreast of vendor activity, we are part of interest groups and forums, to increase our understanding of current practices, evolving techniques, and recommended efficiencies, and attend conferences by leading cultural heritage experts.
Copyright and your content
At AM, we understand that many creators make a collection. Our copyright and permissions experts are committed to engaging with, compensating, and crediting original creators of unique and important primary source material.
The work of the IP team is embedded in the development of our resources. We review and assess archive collections and continue to work alongside the AM editorial team and our archive partners on research, outreach, and clearance of copyrighted content through to publication.
Copyright clearance
Our experienced team are fully focused on copyright clearance, taking the pressure off our archive partners. We produce tailored plans for individual collections and develop exciting connections with rightsholders who contribute to the award-winning primary source products we publish.
We recognise that archives’ existing relationships with donors are paramount and have frequent conversations with partners to ensure our work will align with their expectations.
Working with the archival community
We are alert to the complexities and sensitivities that might arise from publishing archival material and are committed to designing practices that are fair and respectful of creative communities. We regularly attend copyright conferences, research changes to international IP laws and enlist advice from academic and archival communities.
We are proud of our work with rightsholders, as well as their estates, commercial companies, agencies, and family members. If you'd like to find out more about what we do, discuss a licensing opportunity, or ensure your work has been correctly identified, get in touch.