Impact of a digital archive (JSTOR) on print collection use

Abstract

The ubiquitous question of whether electronic journals are capable of replacing paper versions is beginning to be answered. The author discusses patterns of use observed in a scholarly setting where severe remote library storage created greater incentive to rely on electronically archived journals (JSTOR). As awareness of electronic access increased, use of the equivalent paper collection declined. In fact, electronic use is on a significantly larger scale than that measured for paper. These observations permitted the author to confidently transfer all electronically archived journals to remote storage and to conclude that electronic journals can substitute for paper. © 2002, MCB UP Limited