ETSU’s Sherrod Library recently joined the growing list of U.S. institutions using an innovative new system, which takes advantage of advances in information technology.
The system of journal storage, JSTOR, which offers electronic forms of scholarly literature.
“JSTOR is a collection of older journal articles taken from paper and put online to make back-files of journals more readily available,” said Marie Jones, the extended campus librarian.
JSTOR benefits libraries by providing adequate stack space for the long runs of back-files of scholarly journals and reducing the capital costs associated with the storage of journals.
The system also benefits the researcher by greatly improving access to the journal content.
Authorized users are able to view and print articles using standard PC equipment at any time and from any network location. Issues of the journals are always available and in pristine condition.
JSOR started as a pilot project at five library test sites.
Over 700 U.S. institutions have become participants since 1997.
Because the system is so new, library officials don’t have data detailing how much JSTOR is being used, but does think it will be a valuable tool.
“I expect that it will be quite useful because it supplements our paper collection,” Jones said. “It’s much easier to use online than in paper form.”
Currently, JSOR features an extensive collection of titles in a arts and sciences, general science, ecology and botany.
Over the next three years, JSTOR envisions building a collection of materials that compliment the existing arts and sciences content, plus a series of discipline-specific collections.
Jones expects to obtain as much electronically as possible in the future for JSTOR.

Author