From the Archive to the Screen: Unlocking Knowledge and Expanding Research Through Accessible Digital Primary Sources

By Bee Cassim (Senior Product Manager, AM)

The role of the research library is rapidly evolving, not only as a steward of scholarly resources but as a critical driver of inclusion, equity, and innovation in research. One of the most powerful ways libraries fulfil this mission is by championing accessibility in digital resources. Accessibility, when thoughtfully implemented, does far more than support compliance; it opens entirely new pathways for interdisciplinary research, deepens engagement with collections, and ensures that the next generation of scholars can pursue inquiry free from barriers.

As a digital publisher, we at AM have placed accessibility at the core of our platform strategy. Our goal is to make primary source content usable and discoverable for everyone, regardless of their physical, cognitive, or research needs.

Accessibility as a Dynamic Standard

Accessibility is not a one-time achievement. It is an ongoing commitment that evolves with new technologies and shifting user expectations. Our in-house publishing platform, AM Quartex, is designed with this in mind. We continuously test it against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA, the benchmark for legal compliance under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the European Accessibility Act.

This means integrating best practices like keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, image alt text, captioning, and audio description. But it also means going further by reassessing usability across devices, designing with empathy, and staying in constant dialogue with users and librarians to ensure the platform evolves in ways that meet real-world needs.

From Historical Archives to Cutting-Edge Access

The recent migration of our flagship East India Company resource, developed in partnership with the British Library, onto the AM Quartex platform exemplifies this evolution. Originally built on an earlier platform focused on serendipitous browsing, the updated resource now supports more intentional, topicdriven research thanks to enhanced metadata and Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) technology.

HTR in particular marks a transformative leap in accessibility and discovery of primary source materials. By creating searchable AI-generated transcripts of handwritten documents, many of which are visually difficult to read or inaccessible via traditional means, we’re enabling users across disciplines to explore the material more deeply. These transcripts not only support screen readers but also make the archive far more navigable for researchers with visual impairments, learning needs, or unfamiliarity with historic script.

Primary Source Research Beyond Traditional Fields

While accessibility improvements directly support users with enhanced needs, their ripple effects are far broader. Researchers in STEM fields, for instance, are increasingly turning to digitised historical materials for longitudinal data, ethical case studies, and environmental tracking.

Data science and AI ethics developments are supported by accessible transcripts of archival materials providing rich, structured content for training AI models and examining the ethical evolution of technology.

While Environmental studies researchers can access historic weather logs, agricultural reports, and disaster accounts from colonial records providing unique datasets and context for analysing climate change and the human response over time.

And Public health and policy can be explored through medical registries and government correspondence found in colonial archives which now feed into epidemiological studies and impact of policy analysis.

When discoverability and accessibility are treated as foundational, rather than supplementary features, primary sources become usable by a far wider audience. This invites collaboration across disciplines and encourages students and faculty to pursue novel research questions previously deemed too difficult or niche due to technical or cognitive barriers.

A Human-Centred Approach to Digital Design

AM’s commitment to accessibility also extends to our internal operations. We’ve invested in specialised training for staff, not only within our technology teams but across editorial and user experience roles. Our UX designers shape interface improvements that support equitable access and intuitive design.

And we’ve also undertaken independent third-party accessibility audits to identify and prioritise high-impact improvements. These include updates required under the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) guidelines, which many universities and colleges rely on when procuring digital resources.

Libraries as Partners in Access and Innovation

At AM, we see libraries not only as users of our resources but as partners in shaping a more inclusive scholarly landscape. Your feedback helps us develop more responsive platforms and your priorities help guide our investment in training and infrastructure. And your commitment to accessibility ensures that students, scholars, and the public can engage fully with the historical record drawn from archives around the world.

In today’s information-rich but attention-scarce world, access and discoverability go hand in hand. By prioritising accessibility, research libraries can unlock new possibilities for engagement and empower not just for history and other humanities majors, but researchers in engineering, policy, data science, and beyond.

Accessible digital archives aren’t just tools for inclusion; they’re engines of interdisciplinary innovation.