Trowels to Terabytes: Accessibility and Re-use of Heritage Data at the Archaeology Data Service

The Archaeology Data Service is the leading digital repository for archaeology and heritage in the UK. The core activity of the ADS is the long-term digital preservation of the data entrusted to our care — a vital undertaking for the heritage sector — and its dissemination in accordance with the FAIR data principles. We achieve this through precise standards and metadata schemas that ensure findability and interoperability, and through open, accessible collections that maximise reuse by others. In this talk, I'll explore what accessibility looks like in practice at the ADS — from our commitment to open access data, to the usability of our collection interfaces and data catalogue. which allow users to explore these vast datasets. I'll also share recent research into how often this legacy data is being repurposed, along with examples of how our collections have been reused by others. Finally, I'll present some of the ways we're encouraging users to engage more directly with our collections — including the wider use of DOIs and the launch of new interfaces — so we can better understand how the data we care for is reused, and ensure it remains as useful as possible for others. The accessibility and reuse challenges faced by the ADS — and the lessons we've learnt in exploring these issues — are far from unique to archaeology, and I hope they offer useful takeaways for anyone grappling with similar questions in their own field.