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Identity statement

Reference code(s)

GB 0-100 KCLCA AHDS (Accn 3154)

Title

Arts and Humanities Data Service

Date(s)

1995-2007

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium of the unit of description (quantity, bulk, or size)

11 boxes

Context

Name of creator(s)

King’s College London

Administrative / Biographical history

The Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS) was founded in 1996 as an academic partnership to promote the creation, use and preservation of digital content for the arts and humanities.  The central Executive of the AHDS was based at King’s College London, with five partners in other UK universities: the Oxford Text Archive (OTA), for literature, language and linguistics, the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) at York, the History Data Service (HDS) at Essex, the Performing Arts Data Service (PADS) at Glasgow, and the Visual Arts Data Service (VADS) at University College for the Creative Arts, Farnham.  The AHDS developed tools and systems for creating, managing and preserving data and access provision, and policies on collection development, appraisal, management and preservation.  When the AHDS ended in 2008, its function was taken over by a new Centre for e-Research, which since 2012 has been part of the Department of Digital Humanities within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, King’s College London.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Transferred to King’s College London Archives, 2015

Content & structure

Scope and content

Paper files, 2005-2007, relating to the Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS), comprising: meeting papers of the AHDS Steering Committee, 1995-2000 (including pre-launch meetings); meeting papers of the AHDS Management Board (successor to the Steering Committee), 2001-2005; meeting papers of the AHDS Service Providers’ Forum, 1996-2000; reports from the Archaeology Data Service (ADS), History Data Service (HDS), Oxford Text Archive (ODA) and Performing Arts Data Service (PADS), 1996-2002; AHDS newsletters, 1997-2007; AHDS annual reports, 1998-2001; AHDS policy statements, 1998-2001; strategic plans, 1999-2005.

System of arrangement

In 11 boxes, as outlined above.

Conditions of access & use

Conditions governing access

Administrative records are closed for a period of 20 years from the last date on file.  Records over 20 years are open, subject to signature of a Reader’s undertaking form, and appropriate provision of two forms of identification, to include one photographic ID.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only.  Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Head of Archives Services.

Language/scripts of material

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Paper files

Finding aids

This summary guide, and a box list available in the Archives Reading Room.

Allied materials

Existence and location of originals

King's College London College Archives

Description control

Rules or conventions

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.

This catalogue is made available under the Open Data Commons Attribution License. This catalogue may be updated from time to time in order to reflect additional material and/or new understandings of the material.

Date(s) of descriptions

September 2015