New JSTOR Platform Update

Dear JSTOR Participant: We would like to provide you with an update on the approaching release of the new JSTOR platform. We are in final testing stages, and at this time we anticipate the new platform will replace the current JSTOR site during the week of March 17, 2008. We are excited about the new platform, which we believe will enhance navigation and ease of use, as well as provide more tools and capabilities for JSTOR users. The new system will also provide a more flexible foundation for future development, allowing us to more easily add new features and a greater array of scholarly content. We urge you to continue to try out the preview of the new site before the end of this week, at which time we plan to close preview as we prepare for the launch itself. Until then, you may access the preview, as well as up-to-date information about its status, via the JSTOR Sandbox, at http://sandbox.jstor.org. Some points to note about the upcoming new JSTOR platform: When the launch takes place, individual and organizational access to JSTOR will automatically transition to the new platform. We are testing thoroughly our various access mechanisms in an effort to ensure that this transition is as smooth as possible for all users, and we have already contacted those institutions who may need alternate methods. If your site access is primarily IP-based you shouldn’t need to make any changes. Please let us know immediately, though, if you do experience any problems with access after the launch. The main address for the site will continue to be http://www.jstor.org. We will continue to maintain critical top-level links to the JSTOR search forms, browse page, and journal information pages, as well as those article-level links that have been identified as stable URLs throughout the current JSTOR site (i.e., those prefaced by “Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/...”). We have begun scheduling webinars focused on “Highlights of the New JSTOR Interface.” To register for a scheduled webinar, please visit the JSTOR Training page at http://www.jstor.org/resources/training.html. Release notes about the new system will be distributed shortly before launch and will be posted on the new site. These notes will highlight key improvements to JSTOR, while providing a forward look at features still being developed. We would like to extend thanks to all of you for the feedback we have received so far during our preview period. We are working hard to correct problems that have been identified, and are taking note of suggestions for future enhancements. We also want to thank those of you who participated in the load testing exercise we held on Tuesday, March 4. The information we gathered from the thousands of accesses during the testing hour was extremely valuable for us as we finalized the system. If you have any questions or comments at all about the upcoming release, please contact support@jstor.org. We will be happy to provide further information. JSTOR User Services