Collections Guidelines: Print Titles in JSTOR

The Waidner-Spahr Library has purchased access to twenty-one JSTOR collections of journals (Arts and Sciences Collections I through XV, Business IV Collection, Jewish Studies Collection, Life Sciences Collection, Lives of Literature Collection, Security Studies Collection, and Sustainabilty Collection). 

JSTOR has such a strong preservation program, and their online content is of such high quality and is so preferable to our users that after consulting with faculty in Fall 2014, the Library established the practice of withdrawing selected print duplicate issues once they are available full-text in JSTOR. The Library retains print copies of journals needed to meet pedagogical and research purposes, per request of faculty.

JSTOR is a shared digital library of academic journals created in 1995 to help libraries to free space on their shelves, save costs, and provide greater levels of access to more content. By digitizing to high standards and supporting long-term preservation, JSTOR aims to help libraries and publishers of scholarly content transition their collections and publishing activities from print to digital operations.

The information on this page about JSTOR's pricing models and committment to long-term preservation is condensed & adapted from information available on the JSTOR website.

JSTOR is not-for-profit.  Fee models are designed to provide the broadest possible access to scholarship while also ensuring that access is reliable and that it will be available for future generations. We pay a one-time “archive capital fee” when we purchase a JSTOR collection, and then pay modest annual access fees. Our library’s payment is based on the size of our institution.  

JSTOR creates digital content such that it can be readily converted to newer formats in the future.  JSTOR has developed a sophisticated content model and XML metadata scheme into which the structure of the content and its bibliographic metadata are encoded.  High quality PDFs are available for articles, including color PDFs (e.g., Bradley: His Book by William H. Bradley, graphic artist).  To protect against loss, JSTOR has established three redundant data centers each housing a complete copy of the JSTOR Digital Library.  In the extremely unlikely event that JSTOR should cease operations, funds will be transferred to a third-party steward. Third-party digital repositories would be selected for their high technical standards, the ability to foster cooperation among stakeholders while maintaining knowledge of the legal environment, scrupulous digital rights management, a strong commitment to preservation, as well as financial stability.

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. The California Digital Library and Harvard Depository act as paper repositories for JSTOR.  For print and other materials included in JSTOR from rare and special or private collections, originals are preserved by the owning libraries, societies, museums, or other organizations and individuals.