Northwestern University has joined the Tier 3 charter program of JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services, becoming part of a cohort of institutions working together to advance responsible, sustainable approaches to digital collections stewardship.
As a Tier 3 charter participant, Northwestern will gain access to JSTOR Seeklight, the AI-powered collections processing tool within JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services, alongside an integrated platform for digital asset management, long-term preservation with Portico, and expanded discovery pathways including sharing collections on JSTOR. Northwestern will also contribute to the charter community’s shared learning through working groups, user testing, and regular cohort discussions.
Northwestern’s initial work with Stewardship will focus on using JSTOR Seeklight to generate descriptions, transcripts, and collection-level insights—helping them move more quickly through collections processing backlogs, while responsibly bringing more distinctive collections into view for campus communities and the broader scholarly ecosystem.
“We see tremendous opportunity in accelerating collections processing to make more collections accessible and discoverable more quickly,” said Xuemao Wang, Dean of Libraries at Northwestern. “Digital innovation like this is central to our new strategic vision, so we are delighted to be in on the ground floor of an initiative that has the potential for great impact on our field.”
“Northwestern brings a deep commitment to distinctive collection stewardship,” said Jess Clemons, Director of Business Development, JSTOR Stewardship. “Their focus on reducing processing backlogs to reveal hidden materials will benefit not only their own community, but the broader network of charter participants who are experimenting and learning together.”
About Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a leading private research university with 12 schools and more than 23,000 students across campuses in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, and in Doha, Qatar. Founded in 1851, the university is home to world class schools of medicine, journalism, communications, music and more.
About JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services
JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services is a seamless, cloud-hosted platform that unites digital asset management, long-term preservation, and expanded discovery pathways—including sharing on JSTOR—with the AI-assisted collections processing tools of JSTOR Seeklight.