JSTOR and SCELC announce consortium-wide agreement

JSTOR and the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium (SCELC) announced today a consortium-wide agreement to make JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services available to all SCELC Member institutions. Through this partnership, over 100 libraries will have the opportunity to access next-generation digital asset management (DAM) tools, long-term preservation, and AI-powered collections processing support.

JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services is a new initiative designed to help institutions overcome persistent obstacles in digital collection stewardship and describe, preserve, manage, and share their distinctive collections at scale. The service offers three tiers of participation, designed to meet institutions’ specific needs, whether enhancing discoverability, managing content through the DAM, ensuring preservation, or applying cutting-edge AI tools.

With this agreement, SCELC Member institutions can opt into any one of the three tiers and will receive two-year fee subsidies and ongoing support from dedicated SCELC staff.

“We have been looking for the right partner and services to support our Member libraries’ aspirations for impactful and sustainable digital collections programs. This agreement will allow our Members to enhance their visibility locally and beyond,” said Teri Oaks Gallaway, SCELC Executive Director. “JSTOR gives us a path forward to meet libraries’ immediate needs and to build for the future with a values-aligned partner.”

In addition to providing access to tools and support, this collaboration allows SCELC libraries to help shape the continued development of JSTOR Stewardship, including JSTOR Seeklight, an AI-powered technology that accelerates the creation of descriptive metadata and provides intelligent insights into digital collections. SCELC libraries participating in the Tier 3 charter program will join dozens of diverse institutions who are partnering with JSTOR to shape this innovative capability.

“SCELC recognizes the importance of system-wide collaboration to develop innovative solutions that help its members preserve, manage, and make their digital collections more accessible,” said Rebeccae Seger, VP, Institutional Participation and Strategic Partnerships, ITHAKA. “We’re thrilled to be working alongside them and supporting their coordinated efforts.”