AM: Empowering Humanities and Social Sciences Through Collaborative Partnerships

By Holly Francis (Senior Marketing Manager, AM) <Hollyf@amdigital.co.uk>

Collaborative partnerships and projects are something that will be familiar to every person reading this article. Whether it’s your library collaborating with faculty on information literacy, your institution collaborating with local groups or schools to encourage an interest in the humanities, or your special collections team collaborating with publishers on the development of new primary source databases, it’s a key part of successful library strategy.

As a digital publisher with collaboration at the heart of our mission, AM works with a diverse range of institutions to bring undiscovered and underrepresented historical sources to the scholarly community. These projects not only benefit researchers but also enable our partner institutions, such as yours, to reinvest in their collections and ensure their preservation for future generations.

Access to historical and cultural knowledge is more critical than ever for the global academic community. AM stands at the forefront of this endeavour, collaborating with libraries, archives, and universities to support students and faculty in the humanities and social sciences around the world. With our commitment to widening access to historically significant content, these collaborations, curated over our 30 year history, support the development of our groundbreaking digital resources in a variety of subject areas that continue to enhance research and teaching across all levels.

Collaboration in Action

AM’s recent archival collaboration project, First Folios Compared , brought together some of the world’s leading libraries, archives, research institutions and academics to create a digital resource for comparing copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio, making it more accessible and engaging for users worldwide.

Claudine Nightingale, Publisher at AM, who led the First Folios Compared project, speaks passionately in an article featured later in this issue about the power of collaborative partnerships in developing and producing such a resource. As an Open Access database, built on our own platform — AM Quartex — it showcases the huge potential of global collective efforts and sets the stage for new scholarship opportunities in the future.

In this issue of Against the Grain

For this issue, we’ve drawn on some of our recent collaborative projects to bring you a selection of articles looking across library technology, teaching, and research. From engaging K-12 students in history to supporting long-term library strategies, the passionate team at AM plays a pivotal role in fulfilling and supporting the needs of the global academic community. Collaboration is at the heart of this approach and we will continue to work closely with communities and institutions to achieve our shared goals.

As we continue to forge ahead with our partners, we remain dedicated to our core values, pioneering new paths in historical research and education for generations to come.

If any of these articles inspire you to collaborate in new and exciting ways, we hope you reach out to us or any of the partners we’ve mentioned.