JSTOR Seeks to Improve Discovery and Use of Digital Library Collections

20 October 2026

^{Libraries and archives hold vast collections of historical documents, photographs and manuscripts, yet many of these valuable resources remain difficult for researchers to discover, even after they have been digitised.}

^{JSTOR is seeking to address this challenge through its Digital Stewardship Services, an initiative designed to help institutions preserve, organise and share distinctive collections while improving their accessibility to researchers worldwide.}

^{The initiative was the focus of a virtual webinar scheduled for 15 October 2026 under the theme Activating Distinctive Collections: From Digitization to Discovery with JSTOR Stewardship. The discussion was organised around the need to connect digitisation, collection processing, preservation and discovery to increase the educational and research value of institutional archives.}

^{Roger C. Schonfeld, Managing Director of JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services, and Jamie Markus, Associate Dean of Collections at the University of Wyoming Libraries, were among the speakers announced for the session, alongside other JSTOR representatives.}

^{JSTOR's approach responds to a longstanding challenge in academic libraries, where valuable collections are often preserved in separate digital systems, making them difficult to locate and use.}

^{Through Digital Stewardship Services, institutions can manage their collections within a connected platform and make selected materials discoverable alongside academic journals, books and other scholarly publications available through JSTOR.}

^{The initiative also incorporates JSTOR Seeklight, an artificial intelligence-assisted tool that helps librarians and archivists process large volumes of digital materials. It supports the generation of descriptive information and transcripts, which can make historical documents and other resources easier to search.}

^{Importantly, the technology allows library professionals to review and edit AI-generated information, maintaining human oversight in the management of academic and historical records.}

^{Long-term preservation is supported through Portico, a digital preservation service that helps safeguard electronic collections against data loss, technological changes and deterioration of digital formats.}

^{JSTOR has also expanded its efforts to support institutions undertaking digitisation projects. In July 2026, the organisation announced additional funding from the Mellon Foundation to help participating libraries and archives digitise distinctive collections and make them openly accessible through JSTOR.}

^{The support is intended to help institutions overcome financial and technical challenges that have prevented valuable materials from reaching wider audiences.}

^{These developments offer useful lessons for university libraries as they continue investing in digital repositories and electronic information services.}

^{At institutions such as Busitema University, where research publications, theses and other institutional records contribute to teaching and scholarly work, effective organisation and discovery systems are important in ensuring that available information can be readily accessed and used.}

^{JSTOR's initiative illustrates how connecting digital preservation with improved search and discovery can help academic institutions make greater use of their collections while extending access to scholarly and historical knowledge.}

 

Read more: Learn how JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services is helping libraries preserve, manage and improve access to their distinctive collections through the official JSTOR announcement