Collections from the Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS)

How is the AHDS Organised? AHDS Executive (King’s College London) AHDS Literature, Languages and Linguistics (Oxford Text Archive, Oxford Uni.) AHDS History (UK Data Archive, University Of Essex) Funded by JISC and AHRC AHDS Archaeology (Archaeology Data Service, University Of York) AHDS Performing Arts (University Of Glasgow) AHDS Visual Arts (University College for Creative Arts, Farnham Campus) Established in 1996

What does the AHDS do? (1) Advises on the creation of digital data AHDS Digitisation Workshops Guides to good practice, information papers, workshops on particular issues, case studies, advice service over phone / Helps with technical aspects of applications to AHRC

What does the AHDS do? (2) Collects, preserves and distributes high-quality digital resources for research and teaching Collections deposited by academics and by cultural heritage sector These resources are free for educational and private use Generally available online / available for downloading Different mechanisms for different formats and subjects

General AHDS Collections Searches through all AHDS collections –Historical datasets –Literary Texts –Collections of images –Archaeological Datasets

General AHDS Collections Thematic strengths –Linguistic corporaLinguistic corpora Old English Poetry and Prose Commercial Italian Medieval and Modern Chinese –Census MaterialCensus Material National and local data from 19 th and 20 th centuries

General AHDS Collections Thematic strengths –Great Britain Historical DatabaseGreat Britain Historical Database Mortality, Occupation, Trade Union, Housing –GIS of the Ancient Parishes of England and Wales, GIS of the Ancient Parishes of England and Wales, Boundary information on early modern period

General AHDS Collections Thematic strengths –Linguistic corpusLinguistic corpus –Census MaterialCensus Material –Great Britain Historical DatabaseGreat Britain Historical Database Textual material can require registration with AHDS; historical material with UK Data Archive Registration for UK Data Archive to be simplified in Summer 2006 Generally available for download

General AHDS Collections Serendipitous strengths –Collections are driven by what depositors are researching and creating –Thus collections, especially in history and text, can be particular in nature

General AHDS Collections Serendipitous strengths –Ptolemy's Geographia : Books I & IIPtolemy's Geographia : Books I & II –Genevan Sex Crimes Database, c.1440-c.1790Genevan Sex Crimes Database, c.1440-c.1790 –Executions in the United States, Executions in the United States, –Scottish Emigration Database, 1923Scottish Emigration Database, 1923 –Jeremy Bentham, : Transcripts of Original ManuscriptsJeremy Bentham, : Transcripts of Original Manuscripts

Visual Arts Collections Over 60,000 images collections from universities and cultural heritage sector Wide array of possible fields: Art History, Fashion, Design, Crafts (e.g. ceramics, textiles), Contemporary Art, Architecture, Posters, Magazines Browsing, searching, Lightbox, Content-based image retrieval. All online.

Visual Arts Collections The Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland Design Council Archive: Designing Britain National Fine Art Collection (fineart.ac.uk) Public Monuments and Sculpture Association Imperial War Museum –Concise Art Collection –Posters of Conflict

Visual Arts Collections The Learning Index 13 learning and teaching modules using the images –Exhibiting BritainExhibiting Britain –Art for Social SpacesArt for Social Spaces –Calligraphy: an education in letter formCalligraphy: an education in letter form –Oral testimony and the interpretation of the craftsOral testimony and the interpretation of the crafts

Archaeology Collections Over 1m records related to sites and monuments in UK and abroad Contemporary and historic maps provided Uses: Not only archaeology but also Geography, History, Tourism, Urban Planning, Holidays All available online

Archaeology Collections Datasets related to particular research also available –Royal Opera House ExcavationsRoyal Opera House Excavations –Channel Tunnel Rail LinkChannel Tunnel Rail Link –Christ Church, Spitalfields: investigations of the burial crypt Christ Church, Spitalfields: investigations of the burial crypt –Defence of Britain databaseDefence of Britain database

Performing Arts Collections /collections/ Generally available online – but like history collections more research focussed Designing Shakespeare –40 years of performance at London and Stratford –Images from plays, cast lists, director interviews, programme notes –Online interface

AHDS Collections Wide range of materials, delivered in different formats Free for educational and private use Registration required only for some historical and textual items Continual process of adding collections and refining interface This PowerPoint available at