JSTOR Project Information

Why are we doing this project?

Space at King Library is limited and there is little room for collection growth in our facilities. The majority of our users request electronic access to journal titles. By withdrawing duplicate print journals the library will be able to free up much-needed space to create effective study environments and more comfortably house widely used collections.

What is JSTOR?

JSTOR is an online archive of fully-searchable, printable, and downloadable digitized back issues of journals in disciplines including arts and sciences, botany and ecology, general sciences and business. The purpose of JSTOR is to convert back issues of print journals into electronic format to save libraries space and to enhance access to the journal content. Begun in 1995 with less than a dozen journals in economics and history, the JSTOR project has grown to over 1,000 titles in all subject areas. King Library has access to all of them.

How does JSTOR ensure continued access to journals in electronic format?

• JSTOR is a collaborative preservation project by libraries and the Mellon Foundation. All participating libraries contribute funds through archive fees for preservation of the digital record. JSTOR is considered the most stable of any electronic archive.
• JSTOR has been certified as a trusted digital repository by the Center for Research Libraries. This audit confirms that the repository is meeting best practices for the preservation of digital content.
• JSTOR works with institutions knowledgeable in the preservation of paper to store multiple copies of the original print publications underlying the archives so that they are available for re-digitization as well as other unanticipated needs. There are two climate-controlled paper repositories of JSTOR journals at California Digital Library and Harvard. At both locations, each issue of each journal is page-verified for completeness and efforts are ongoing to complete holdings. Content is also being stored at many regional repositories.
• JSTOR has a process for selecting a third-party steward in the event that JSTOR should cease operations.

What happens if a title drops out of JSTOR?

Since the library started subscribing to JSTOR archives there has never been a journal that has had content removed from the JSTOR archives. There have been cases where titles dropped out of archives for new subscribers but current subscribers to the JSTOR archives are "grandfathered in" to perpetual access. In the case that a title is no longer available through JSTOR the library will still be able to access the print archive through WEST.

How can I get access to the print version of a journal if the electronic format doesn't suit my needs?

King library is a member of WEST (Western Regional Storage Trust), an accessible archive of print copies of JSTOR journals. Should you need to examine the print copy of a JSTOR journal we can access a copy from WEST.

What is WEST?

WEST is the Western Regional Storage Trust, a collaborative, distributed, retrospective print journal archiving program supported by academic libraries and library consortia in the Western region of the United States. The WEST shared print archives ensure access to the scholarly print record and allow member institutions to optimize campus library space.