I have watched this very interesting string of exchanges and, on behalf
of JSTOR, would like to offer a couple of comments that I hope will
further this discussion:

* JSTOR realizes that while some libraries will decide to keep the paper
volumes for titles in the JSTOR archives, other libraries may wish to
move these volumes to offsite storage or deaccession them in order to
provide space for other materials.  However, in order to do so, the
libraries would like some measure of confidence that it is safe to move
these volumes off their shelves and depend on the electronic version.
To that end, JSTOR currently has agreements in place with the University
of California and Harvard University to archive the paper volumes for
the first 353 back runs released by JSTOR, and we are pursuing
agreements for all subsequently released titles.  These are dark or very
dim archives, so, while libraries may not have ready access to these
volumes, they can be assured that the paper volumes are safely stored
for future use should JSTOR ever need to rescan part or all of the
archive.  I would not mean to imply, however, that two paper
repositories are sufficient.  There are a number of initiatives out
there directed by other organizations and institutions, and JSTOR
believes that these efforts are a necessary part of an overall archival
plan for digitized paper content.  JSTOR is keenly interested in
participating in these discussions and/or helping to facilitate them.

* JSTOR is currently in the process of a major retrospective conversion
to bring all data up to current specifications.  This includes capturing
data necessary for reference linking, adding Unicode and corresponding
ASCII transliterations, transcribing captions into our metadata, and
also rescanning many, many pages containing grayscale or color content.
For images scanned prior to 2002, JSTOR displays a black & white page as
the primary image with any color and grayscale on that page content
captured and accessible via a thumbnail beneath the black and white full
page image.  Our current specification creates a composite out of black
& white, grayscale and color content so that the resulting displayed
page image is a much more faithful replication of the paper original.
We are also rescanning a number of black & white page images from among
the earliest titles that JSTOR digitized.  While JSTOR has already begun
to release publicly some of the reworked data, we plan to complete this
major project by the end of 2007.  The end result should be a much
cleaner and more faithful replication of the original.  In turn, this
may alleviate the need to retain paper volumes due to concerns regarding
the quality of the JSTOR version, but I fully realize that there are a
number of other factors that go into the decision to deaccession,
deduplicate and/or to move volumes to offsite storage.  If there are
questions or concerns about the quality of specific page images or about
the quality in general, however, we hope that library staff or patrons
will contact JSTOR (support@jstor.org) to alert us.  We take these
reports seriously and work to make corrections on affected pages, often
within 24 hours.

John Kiplinger
JSTOR Director of Production
www.jstor.org

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Latchney, Jim
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 9:57 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] JSTOR print backfiles

Our library went through a similar procedure. Our former Assistant
Director for Access and Preservation went through that list of titles
and identified volumes from those titles with plates, maps, etc. that
either were not digitized well in JSTOR or because they had particularly
unique images, etc., the print volume was kept. I have a .doc list of
those volumes that were kept if anyone is interested.

Jim Latchney
Cataloging & Reference Librarian
Cataloging and Metadata Services
Michigan State University Libraries
100 Library
East Lansing, MI 48824-1048
(517) 432-6123 x317
(517) 353-8969 (fax)

"...the modern cataloger will one day be a software-enabled specialist
who can gather, subset, normalize, and enrich piles of records for a
specific audience or purpose."--Roy Tennant, Library Journal, Apr. 15,
2006

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Tian Zhang
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 9:39 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] JSTOR print backfiles

Last year, I attended the NASIG Annual Conference. At the meeting, a
representative from Jstor gave an impressive presentation about Jstor
project. According to the presentation, the information I got is that
Jstor has very good plans of digitizing all the issues of the titles in
its list. From that time on, I realized there is no reason for our
library to continue keeping the bind volumes if they are on Jstor. And
we stopped binding any more volumes of Jstor titles. All the current
issues (about 5 years) will be kept in shelves until they are in Jstor.
We did not ask around whether any libraries will need the bind volumes
assuming academic libraries all subscribe Jstor. But if the foreign
country libraries still accept the bind volumes, please let me know, and
we are willing to ship to them.

The same situation is with our microfilms and microfiches of Jstor
titles.

Tian X. Zhang

Head of Serials Department
St. John's University Library
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439
Tel. 718 990-5082
Fax 718 990-5938

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Mykie Howard
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 9:03 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] JSTOR print backfiles

How did you find the library in the Middle East, and does anyone know of
any other libraries currently willing to pay shipping for free JSTOR
titles?

Thanks!
Mykie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mykie Howard
Serials Librarian
Morehead State University
Camden-Carroll Library
150 University Dr.
Morehead, KY  40351

my.howard@moreheadstate.edu
ph:606-783-5116
fax:606-783-5037

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of SUSAN BEIDLER
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 3:10 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] JSTOR print backfiles

Julie,
Lycoming College has withdrawn our print volumes that are included in
JSTOR.  Each spring we pull the volumes that have been added to JSTOR,
too.

We are a small liberal arts college with no graduate programs.  We were
early enough in the process that we were able to sell many of them, and
another large group of the volumes went to a library in the Middle East
that was willing and able to pay for shipping.

Hope this helps in your study.  If you have further questions, feel free
to get back to me. Sue Beidler Head of Collection Management

Sue Beidler
Snowden Library
Lycoming College
700 College Place
Williamsport PA 17701

phone: 570-321-4084
fax:      570 321-4090
email: beidler@lycoming.edu

>>> Julie Andel <jandel@MAILER.FSU.EDU> 2/14/2007 12:38 PM >>>
Hello,

I am currently working as a graduate assistant for Millie Jackson, Head
of Collection Development at Florida State University, and I am
researching information about what other libraries are doing with their
JSTOR print collections.

Thank you for any information you can provide.

Julie Andel
Graduate Assistant
Collection Development
Florida State University Libraries
850-645-2709
jandel@mailer.fsu.edu