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.
JSTOR was founded in 1995, and 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.
Deakin University joins JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services to manage, preserve, and strengthen access to digital collections
Deakin University becomes the ninth Australian institution to join JSTOR Stewardship, strengthening digital collections management, preservation, and discovery while expanding access to distinctive cultural materials.
Northern State University joins JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services charter program
Northern State University joins JSTOR Stewardship’s Tier 3 charter program, migrating collections from CONTENTdm to strengthen preservation, discovery, and AI-assisted processing with JSTOR Seeklight.
Now available on Artstor on JSTOR: 1,500 images from the Asheville Art Museum Collection
The Asheville Art Museum has made 1,500 images available on Artstor on JSTOR, highlighting works connected to Black Mountain College, Southern Appalachia, and the changing landscapes of Western North Carolina.
Now Available on Artstor on JSTOR: The Arshile Gorky Foundation
Explore more than 100 images of Arshile Gorky’s work, contributed to Artstor on JSTOR by the Arshile Gorky Foundation. The collection honors the artist’s legacy and his lifelong engagement with art and art history.
Rowan University joins JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services as charter participant
Rowan University adopts JSTOR Stewardship to strengthen digital collections management, preservation, and discovery while joining a charter community shaping responsible, AI-assisted collections processing.
JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services: Seeklight Field Management workshop
A hands-on workshop for Tier 3 Stewardship admins: Enable and configure JSTOR Seeklight with the new Seeklight Field Management settings.
JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services: Seeklight Field Management workshop
A hands-on workshop for Tier 3 Stewardship admins: Enable and configure JSTOR Seeklight with the new Seeklight Field Management settings.
New Artstor on JSTOR Collection Launch: Asheville Art Museum
Explore more than 1,500 images of American art from the Asheville Art Museum, including works by Black Mountain College artists Ruth Asawa and Robert Rauschenberg, glass artist Mark Peiser, and contemporary artist Wendy Red Star.
What’s new in JSTOR Stewardship: October 2026
Explore the latest from JSTOR Stewardship in October 2026, including new participating institutions, distinctive collections now discoverable on JSTOR, and community perspectives on digital preservation, collaboration, and the future of collections stewardship.