Background: 

On June 15, 2023, Coherent Digital acquired Accessible Archives. We’re migrating the collections to the award-winning History Commons platform and adding many new improvements for customers.

Well known in the Accessible Archives community, Bob Lester is now part of Coherent in the role of History Editor. Bob and the rest of the team have been working to make the migration smooth for our customers and partners.

What are the benefits for our customers?

• Increased accessibility: With the migration, Accessible Archives will meet Level AA conformance in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 and 2.1.

• A modern, mobile-responsive platform: The History Commons platform adapts seamlessly to various smartphones, tablets, desktops, and all browsers.

• Unprecedented discoverability: Our advanced search features, including NEAR operators, wildcard truncation, and keyword in context, will transform discoverability for Accessible Archives content, which is hand corrected for accuracy.

• Community features: Your users will be able to create lists, share, and upload content.

• Unified cross-search: Accessible Archives content will be seamlessly cross-searched alongside other collections hosted on the History Commons platform, expanding research possibilities and bringing diverse historical sources together.

What will Accessible customers experience as we transition?

During the transition phase, the collections will remain fully accessible on the current  Accessible Archives platform through August 30.

• You’re invited to move voluntarily to the History Commons platform starting June 1, 2024. The old and new platforms will operate concurrently from June 1 through August 30.

• Leading up to June 1, we’ll send you specific instructions for updating MARC records, database menus, and discovery links. We’ll also provide History Commons training webinars.

• After August 30, the original platform will automatically redirect your users to History Commons for access to all of your Accessible Archives collections. 

Bob Lester will continue to provide customer service for Accessible Archives collections and answer your questions about the legacy platform. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to reach out to Bob at blester@coherentdigital.net. You may also hear from other members of the Coherent Digital team including:

• Your Account Representative, helping you understand your Accessible Archives holdings and gaps;

• Heather Dray, Director of Outreach and Engagement, providing updates and training; and

• Fatme Makki, handling all invoicing matters.

I’m ready to make the voluntary move on June 1. What should I do next?

 To prepare to send users to History Commons for all Accessible Archives collections please:

• Install the History Commons EZproxy stanza 

• Link your database menus to History Commons

• Update and maintain your IP ranges at theIPregistry.org. 

What will happen if I do nothing? 

After August 30, the old platform will automatically redirect your users to History Commons to access all of your Accessible Archives collections. 

Will permanent access and subscription purchase options still be available?

Yes

Will a combined permanent access and subscription purchase still be available?

Yes

Will the current Accessible annual maintenance fee and subscription rates remain in effect?

Yes 

Can I still request an Accessible Archives trial?

Yes. Contact Bob Lester to set up your trial.

Can I request a trial or demo of the History Commons platform right away, to preview how it works?  

Yes, we think that’s a great idea. In fact, the newest Accessible Archives collection, African American Newspapers in the South, is already available on History Commons and ready for trials. Contact Bob Lester or your Account Representative to learn more.

Can I request my institution’s annual Accessible Archives invoice?

Yes. Contact Fatme Makki at accts-receivable@coherentdigital.com  for your invoice or proforma.

Will Accessible Archives licenses and license addenda remain in effect?

Yes.

Will Accessible Archives customer access and prelog links, IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, and EZProxy stanza remain live on the Accessible Archives platform?  And will public libraries with barcodes and usernames/passwords still be available?

Yes, until August 30 when www.accessible.com URLs will redirect to www.history-commons.net. If you have changes, please contact Bob Lester and update your IP ranges at theIPregistry.org. More about why we use this workflow here.

How will authentication work in History Commons? 

• History Commons uses five frictionless protocols for remote user authentication. 

• If you’re already authenticated using TCP/IP authentication, we’ve preloaded your existing IP ranges into our system. 

• Please update and maintain your IP ranges at theIPregistry.org. More about why we use this workflow here. 

• You may also install the History Commons EZproxy stanza now and maintain the Accessible Archives stanza until August 30.

What happens to our MARC records?

• Your existing installed base of records for Accessible Archives will be automatically redirected to History Commons on August 30. 

• We’ll provide updated MARC records.

Permanent-access holdings:  

• Your purchased collections will live on the History Commons platform.

• If you have questions about your holdings, reach out to Bob Lester. 

Which discovery services are supported?

• See our Discovery Services page for complete information about the services that support Accessible Archives and History Commons collections. 

Will COUNTER/SUSHI usage reports still be available?

Yes. We’ll continue utilizing the same COUNTER vendor, Scholarly iQ, through August 30, 2024. Coherent Digital will provide two years of archived usage stats from the accessible.com platform in accordance with COUNTER-compliant obligations.

After August 30, 2024, traffic to www.accessible.com is automatically redirected to www.history-commons.net, and usage will be captured on the new platform. History Commons will provide COUNTER 5 usage reports through SUSHI, using the service provider LibLynx. History Commons usage reports will be available through our new Customer Portal.

What Is the Customer Portal?

The portal will provide you with access to your History Commons entitlements, MARC records, and usage data. Legacy Accessible Archives usage data and MARC records will not be  available via the portal, but they’re available upon request. In May, all Commons customers will receive a communication with portal login instructions.

Will branding be available?

Yes. History Commons will continue to provide branding to promote the library and increase usage. 

Will the new platform be VPAT/Accessibility compliant
Yes. Coherent Digital’s History Commons is fully compliant with VPAT standards. Upon migration of the Accessible Archives content, new avenues will be open for those needing greater accessibility.

Will I be able to cross-search my Accessible Archives content with other Coherent Digital  collections?

If you currently own or subscribe to Accessible Archives and Coherent Digital, you’ll be able to cross-search after collection migration is complete on August 30, 2024.

Who is Coherent Digital?

Coherent Digital was founded in 2019 by industry veterans including Stephen Rhind-Tutt, Toby Green, Eileen Lawrence, Pete Ciuffetti, André Avorio, and others. Our mission is to find important content and make it useful. Through Coherent, information is saved, uniquely tagged, stabilized, and made discoverable. Coherent Digital publishes collections on its Commons platforms: Policy Commons, Africa Commons, History Commons, South Asia Commons, Mindscape Commons, and Canada Commons.