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Oct 14 2026
October on JSTOR: Stewardship webinar, new research tools, and more
Overview
JSTOR’s October 2026 newsletter presents resources and updates intended to support libraries, educators and researchers in managing collections, teaching and scholarly discovery. The edition highlights an upcoming JSTOR Stewardship webinar, new open-access books, a digital-collection migration case study and flexible acquisition options for libraries.
The newsletter also introduces a classroom exercise for tracing the development of ideas through scholarly literature, explains JSTOR’s new AI-assisted dynamic search and lists industry events at which participants can learn more about JSTOR’s products and services.
Details
Newsletter Information
Newsletter: October on JSTOR: Stewardship Webinar, New Research Tools, and More
Edition: October 2026
Organisation: JSTOR
Parent organisation: ITHAKA
Primary coverage: Digital collections, open-access books, library acquisitions, teaching resources, research tools and industry events
JSTOR Stewardship Webinar
Webinar: From Digitization to Impact
Date: 15 October 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Speakers: Roger Schonfeld, Jamie Markus of the University of Wyoming Libraries and representatives from JSTOR
Primary focus: The webinar will examine how libraries can transform distinctive digitised collections into resources that meaningfully support research, teaching and discovery.
Workflow development: The discussion will consider how institutions can rethink workflows relating to digitisation, processing, preservation and discovery.
Registration: Interested participants may register through the link included in the original JSTOR newsletter.
Path to Open
Open-access milestone: A further 300 scholarly books from the 2024 Path to Open cohort will become freely available through JSTOR in January 2027.
Subject coverage: The collection includes scholarly research across the arts, humanities and social sciences.
Topics represented: The books cover subjects including climate, migration, culture and history.
Previous release: The programme’s first 100 titles became openly accessible in 2026.
Programme objective: Path to Open helps libraries and publishers expand global access to scholarly monographs.
Further reading: Additional information about the forthcoming titles is available through the blog linked in the original announcement.
MTSU Digital-Collection Migration
Case study: How MTSU Planned Its Move from CONTENTdm to JSTOR Stewardship
Institution: Middle Tennessee State University
Planning process: The university brought together campus partners to define requirements, evaluate platforms and prepare for the migration of its digital collections.
Migration support: JSTOR’s migration specialists assisted the institution during its transition from CONTENTdm to JSTOR Stewardship.
Institutional guidance: Librarians and archivists share lessons for organisations evaluating alternative platforms for their digital collections.
Library Acquisition Options
Financial planning: JSTOR offers one-time payment options intended to help libraries use year-end funds, expand access and reduce recurring charges.
Publisher Collections: Libraries can streamline and expand ebook acquisition from established academic publishers.
Ebook subject packages: Curated frontlist and backlist titles are available in important disciplines, with limited-period savings intended to support year-end purchasing.
Path to Open: Institutions can support a sustainable approach to making scholarly ebooks openly accessible.
Archive collections: Libraries may add or convert eligible archival journals and primary-source collections through a one-time payment model.
Long-term benefit: These acquisition models are intended to reduce ongoing budget pressure while supporting continued access to scholarly resources.
Teaching Students to Follow an Idea
Teaching resource: Biography of an Idea
Contributor: Saurabh Anand
Format: A five-step classroom exercise presented through JSTOR Daily
Learning objective: The exercise encourages students to treat research as the exploration and development of ideas rather than only as a search for sources.
Citation tracing: Students learn to follow a concept through earlier and later scholarly publications.
Research skills: The activity helps students connect sources and understand how ideas develop and change over time.
AI-Assisted Dynamic Search
Feature: AI-assisted dynamic search on JSTOR
Primary purpose: The feature helps researchers begin exploring a subject even when they do not yet know the most appropriate search terms.
Meaning-based discovery: Researchers can investigate broad questions and find related ideas and scholarly sources according to meaning and context.
Search refinement: Dynamic search can help users refine their research direction as they learn more about a topic.
Researcher control: Users remain responsible for selecting what to read, evaluating sources and drawing conclusions.
Availability: The feature is offered without an additional charge at participating institutions where JSTOR’s on-platform AI features have been enabled.
Upcoming Industry Events
Digital Library Forum: 14–15 October 2026
LUND Online, Sweden: 14–16 October 2026
Arizona Library Association: 21–23 October 2026
Charleston Library Conference: 2–6 November 2026
Pan Hellenic Conference, Greece: 9–11 November 2026
CONCERT, Taiwan: 12–13 November 2026
ANKOSLINK, Turkey: 16–19 November 2026
PLANNER, India: 18–20 November 2026
Event purpose: Attendees can learn more about JSTOR products and solutions developed in collaboration with libraries, publishers and educators.
Further information: Complete webinar registration, articles, case studies, acquisition information and event details are available through the links included in the original JSTOR newsletter.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this News Bulletin is for informational purposes only. The Learning Centre does not facilitate or provide recordings, additional data, access, or any other related information concerning the events/resources listed.
