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.
How JSTOR supports smarter research workflows
JSTOR helps teaching librarians, faculty, students, and new researchers move from early search to stronger synthesis by bringing together scholarly content, primary sources, images, collections, Workspace, citation tools, and AI-enabled features in one research and teaching platform.
Visual Resources Association
A virtual conference dedicated to the management and use of visual materials, with a focus on digital access, rights, and metadata practices.
Charleston Library Conference
A highly influential event known for candid, cross-sector dialogue on acquisitions, collection strategy, and the evolving scholarly publishing landscape.
PLANNER
An international conference emphasizing strategic approaches to library development, networking, and technology-driven information services.
International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums
A distinctive gathering centered on Indigenous knowledge systems, highlighting community-driven approaches to cultural stewardship and preservation.
Virginia Library Association
An annual gathering of Virginia’s library community, showcasing forward-looking ideas in programming, outreach, and library leadership.
Council of State Archivists
A national meeting focused on state-level archives and records management, emphasizing policy development, standards, and intergovernmental collaboration.
Digital Library Forum
A focused event exploring innovations in digital libraries, including platforms, user experience, and long-term access to digital collections.
Frankfurt Book Fair
The world’s largest publishing marketplace, where global industry leaders convene to shape trends, negotiate rights, and celebrate the written word.