Emerging Technologies Consulting

News: Adding Currency to JSTOR – Inside Higher Ed

In the above article, Doug Lederman outlines a new initiative launched by JSTOR and the University of California Press.  In the initiative, UC Press proposes to offer its 40+ journals via JSTOR, not just back issues, but the current issues as well.  The whole thing sounds a bit complicated as there will be a separate pricing structure for the current issues.  Granted, libraries won’t have to go to the potentially 40 different places that distribute the journals and subscribe not just to the journal they want, but also to other journals they may or may not want.  There’s potential there, but I’m not sure it goes far enough to revamp the crazy electronic distribution landscape we’re currently in.  And it does nothing to provide access to people outside of academic institutions.