"
JSTOR’s paywall is still alive, but it’s trying to score brownie points during a pandemic", wrote Rachel John on March 21 at
I agree. Here are some facts, results of a test some days ago with different library accounts. My keyword was "Renaissance".
From 520,936 matches (in Journals: 445, 626) only 4 % (19,307) are free for all. For comparison: MUSE makes today 29 K. from 67 K. "Renaissance" matches free for all, around 43 %.
Only public health and COVID-19 related resources have been opened in
JSTOR for the general public:
https://about.jstor.org/covid19/
Only 365 K. from the 521 K. matches are available in the "Read Online" program. JSTOR has not increased the number of 6 free items during the crisis.
A German university library and some state libraries (Landesbibliotheken) have access to 475 K. "Renaissance" matches, one library (WLB Stuttgart) only to 434 K., one university and state library only to 471 K. This means that the maximum is 91 % of all JSTOR content.
US Highschool: 441 K., UK library 379 K. (= only 73 %).
It is true that JSTOR has expanded its offering to licensees. But the differences between them persist even now in the crisis.
In a just world, JSTOR would have to open its entire archive now!
Klaus Graf