No. 10, Issue 1, JSTORNEWS, March 2006

Executive Notes

A wry aphorism says you know a negotiation has been successful when all parties are equally unhappy with the results. Often, balancing interests strikes people as a 'subtractive' negotiation—that is, everyone gives up a little something in order to get something they want—and certainly achieving balance sometimes involves imperfect trade-offs. But JSTOR has learned about the value and necessity of balancing the interests of the various communities we serve. We tend to view the issues we face as opportunities and, more often than not, we have seen efforts to balance the interests of our constituents result in something that is better for everyone.

In 2005, JSTOR began offering participating publishers copies of the digital journal files we create, back to volume 1 issue 1, for their own use. This decision involved a careful assessment and balancing that we believe provides a win for all of our constituents. New publishers have joined JSTOR as a result of this offering, thereby adding to the titles being preserved and made accessible to JSTOR participating libraries and their users. Additionally, depending on their intended use of the material, publishers agree to maintain moving walls with JSTOR of three years or less. Ultimately, our goal has been to enhance the value of libraries' investment in JSTOR while working with publishers to reach an even greater number of researchers.

Getting the balance right requires listening. In the next several newsletters we will feature perspectives from different segments of our community, sharing how they have encountered useful content in the archive or reflecting on JSTOR in the context of their own missions. In this issue, Jeff Garrett considers the value and impact of Northwestern University's participation in JSTOR over time. As always, we welcome any comments you may have.

Michael P. Spinella