Conclusion

The initial response to JSTOR's charter offer in the first three months of this year is a strong signal that JSTOR will be a valued resource for the research community; however, it is still far too early to comment further on "user acceptance." Tom Finholt and JoAnn Brooks's research (see chapter 11) into usage at the test site libraries provides a first snapshot, but this picture was taken prior to there being any effort to increase awareness of JSTOR in the community and on the specific campuses. There is much to learn. JSTOR is committed to tracking usage data both for libraries and publishers and to providing special software tools to enable users to create usage reports tailored to their own needs and interests. We will continue to keep the academic community informed as we learn more.

While we are encouraged by the positive reaction of the library community to JSTOR, we recognize that this good start has raised expectations and has created new challenges. In addition to the challenges of reaching our 100-title goal before the end of 1999, trying to encourage the next 200 libraries to participate, and keeping up with changing technologies, we face other complex challenges, including how to make JSTOR available outside the United States and how to define future phases of JSTOR. Addressing these issues will require the development of new strategic plans and new economic and pricing models. In creating those plans, we know that we will continue to confront complicated choices. As we make decisions, we will remain focused on our mission, making adjustments to our plans as required to keep making progress in appropriate ways.