JSTOR (digital library)
JSTOR is a digital library that provides access to a vast collection of digitized academic resources, including journal articles, books, and primary sources. Launched in the 1990s with the goal of improving access to scholarly research, JSTOR has grown to include over twelve million works across seventy-five disciplines by 2024. Initially focused on digitizing academic journal back issues, it has expanded to encompass a wide range of written materials, making it a valuable resource for students, researchers, and faculty. While full access to JSTOR requires a subscription, the platform also offers open access content at no charge, catering to independent researchers and the general public. The library collaborates with over nine hundred publishers and is affiliated with more than 1,500 institutions worldwide. JSTOR's mission includes promoting accessibility to scholarly materials and preserving original print publications in digital format for future generations. Additionally, JSTOR has adapted to changing needs, such as providing free access during the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlights its commitment to supporting academic communities.
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JSTOR (digital library)
JSTOR is a digital library containing digitized versions of written works such as books and academic journal articles. Originally, the site only contained digital forms of academic journal back issues, but books and other primary sources were later added. Users can search within the JSTOR database, which contains millions of fully digitized journal articles, books, and primary sources; by 2024 JSTOR offered users access to over twelve million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources across seventy-five disciplines. While the site can only be fully accessed through subscription, it also contains open access and public domain content at no charge.
Overview
The idea for JSTOR was first envisioned in 1994 by William G. Bowen, the then-president of the Andrew W. Melon Foundation and a former president of Princeton University. He wanted to help college and university libraries find new ways to store their ever-growing collection of published scholarship. By converting printed documents into digital format, libraries could store them in a centralized digital archive. This would free up more physical space in the library itself as well as reduce costs associated with collection storage. Bowen also believed that this idea would greatly improve access to peer-reviewed scholarly research. A pilot program was launched by the University of Michigan in 1995 and after its initial success, Bowen established JSTOR as an independent nonprofit organization. JSTOR merged with another nonprofit academic technology company called Ithaka Habors, Inc. in 2009, with Ithaka serving as JSTOR’s parent company and host service.
In its mission statement, JSTOR states that its intent is to collaborate with academic communities and libraries to make scholarly materials more accessible to students and faculty. JSTOR works to lower costs and increase shelf space in libraries, give independent researchers greater access to scholarship at little or no cost, and give publishers the opportunity to reach new audiences while preserving their works for future generations. JSTOR offers its contents to more than 1,500 institutions around the world. Its operations are funded by philanthropic donations and the fees it charges users for full content access. Alongside archiving and digital preservation, JSTOR also works to preserve the original print publications that it converts into digital format in the event that re-digitization is necessary. It also ensures that all its digital content is easily converted to newer digital formats that may be developed in the future.
JSTOR’s content is provided by more than nine hundred publishers and its database contains more than nineteen hundred academic journals in more than seventy-five disciplines amounting to more than twelve million works. Several JSTOR offshoot sites offer users a more specified dataset in which to search such as JSTOR Plant Science and Books at JSTOR. In 2014, JSTOR launched an online magazine called JSTOR Dailyto bring greater awareness to its featured content.
JSTOR is primarily licensed to academic and research institutions and public libraries. It is also available to museums and public schools. Students, staff, and alumni of academic institutions are granted access through their affiliated school. Individual subscriptions are only available to certain journal titles through their publishers. Independent researchers can register for an account on the site and receive access to free content. They can also sign up for a JPASS—a type of individual subscription that gives them access to a journal collection known as the JPASS Collection, which consists of approximately 83 percent of the content available on the JSTOR website. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, JSTOR made its entire database of journals and e-books available to the public for free through the end of 2020 and offered other benefits through its Expanded Access program. This pandemic-related initiative ended in June 2023.
Bibliography
“About JSTOR.” JSTOR, about.jstor.org/. Accessed 16 Jul. 2024.
“About JSTOR Daily.” JSTOR Daily, daily.jstor.org/about/. Accessed 16 Jul. 2024.
“5 Things You May Not Know About JSTOR.” JSTOR, about.jstor.org/5things/. Accessed 16 Jul. 2024.
“Getting Access to JSTOR.” JSTOR, support.jstor.org/hc/en-us/articles/360000313328-Need-Help-Logging-in-To-JSTOR. Accessed 10 Aug. 2020.
Meyer, Robinson. “You Can Now Pay for Access to JSTOR’s Trove of Scholarly Articles.” Atlantic, 25 Sept. 2013, www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/09/you-can-now-pay-for-access-to-jstor-s-trove-of-scholarly-articles/279998/. Accessed 10 Aug. 2020.
“Mission and History.” JSTOR, about.jstor.org/mission-history/. Accessed 16 Jul. 2024.
Tan, Nicole. “10 Free Things to Do If You're Stuck Inside During Covid-19, from Audiobooks to NBA Games.” South China Morning Post, 20 July 2020, www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/features/article/3093860/10-free-things-do-if-youre-stuck-inside-during-covid. Accessed 10 Aug. 2020.
“What’s in JSTOR?” JSTOR, about.jstor.org/whats-in-jstor/. Accessed 16 Jul. 2024.