Our history
In 1994, the Internet was in its early days, and William G. Bowen—then president of the Mellon Foundation—conceived of JSTOR to solve a growing problem: university and college libraries were running out of space for expanding scholarly collections.
His idea was transformative: convert printed journals into digital form and store them in a shared online archive. This innovation helped reduce storage costs, free up physical space, and vastly improve access to research.
Decades later, JSTOR is a thriving nonprofit working with more than 14,000 libraries, museums, and publishers worldwide. Through our products and services, JSTOR has transformed access to scholarly materials—including journals, books, images and other primary sources—to reach more than 100 million users each year.
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What will the next 30 years bring?
Explore more about JSTOR’s evolution and impact.
Parallel paths to innovation: How user research and engineering collaboration shape JSTOR Seeklight
At ITHAKA, innovation happens when user research and engineering exploration move in parallel. This behind-the-scenes look at JSTOR Seeklight shows how collaboration with archivists and technologists shaped an AI-driven tool designed to accelerate collections processing while keeping human expertise at the center.
What we’re hearing from accessibility leaders across higher education
Ahead of updated ADA Title II requirements, we spoke with accessibility leaders at seven public universities about what sustainable progress really looks like. Their focus: prioritization, transparency from providers, and scalable, human-centered solutions that build accessibility into systems.
JSTOR upholds 100% ASPIRE Gold rating for accessibility statement
JSTOR has upheld a Gold 100% ASPIRE rating for its accessibility statement, recognized for clarity, transparency, and meaningful investment in user-centered access.
Wellesley College deepens engagement with JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services, joins Tier 3 charter program
Wellesley College becomes the fifth Oberlin Group and second Boston Library Consortium institution to join JSTOR’s Tier 3 charter program, advancing responsible, AI-assisted collections stewardship with JSTOR Seeklight.
Siena University joins JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services to strengthen digital preservation, access, and engagement
Siena University joins JSTOR Stewardship as a Tier 2 participant, migrating from CONTENTdm to unify digital asset management, long-term preservation via Portico, and discovery on JSTOR.
JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services training: Project administration
Training for Stewardship participants (Tiers 2-3): create/edit projects, map publishing targets, manage users, and access preservation. One of three sessions in a monthly Stewardship training series.
St. John Fisher University joins JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services to strengthen digital collections management and preservation
St. John Fisher University has joined JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services as a Tier 2 participant, strengthening the management, preservation, and discoverability of its distinctive digital collections.
New Tools for Stewardship: Q&A with JSTOR’s Roger Schonfeld
Library Journal features a Q&A with Roger Schonfeld on higher education, libraries, and the evolving role of organizations like JSTOR in supporting research and teaching.
How The Evergreen State College modernized digital stewardship with JSTOR
Facing growing preservation needs and limited staff capacity, Evergreen State College migrated from Omeka to JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services for sustainable, long-term stewardship.