JSTOR will introduce Publisher Collections in 2026 as part of its Books at JSTOR program, offering libraries a new acquisition model developed in consultation with more than 175 institutions and publishers. The initiative will allow libraries to purchase curated sets of new titles from over 20 participating publishers while also gaining access to backlist titles on the platform.
The model is intended to expand equitable and affordable access to scholarship. Each Publisher Collection will include:
• A perpetual JSTOR license to current-year title sets from a press
• Access to all earlier press titles on JSTOR for active participants
• A tiered fee structure based on JSTOR’s classification methodology
• International country savings aligned with JSTOR’s Archive program
All books will be DRM-free and searchable on the platform alongside journals, reports, primary sources, and multimedia.
Survey responses from the development process indicate strong interest, with 79% of library decision makers likely to participate and 69% saying the model addresses challenges such as budget constraints, platform sprawl, and the need for perpetual access.
The program was shaped with input from university presses and academic library groups, including UNC Press, the Big Ten Academic Alliance, and SUNY Press. Contributors highlighted the model’s emphasis on transparency, stewardship, and increased dissemination of peer-reviewed research.
Publisher Collections builds on JSTOR’s broader effort to provide scalable, nonprofit-led solutions that meet the evolving needs of libraries, publishers, and the global research community.
Click here to read the original press release.
