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News & MediaRecent News Stories
SPARC representatives are available to discuss and offer comments on: the Federal Research Public Access Act; taxpayer access to publicly funded research; open access; copyright issues and author rights; and scholarly communication issues, including those related to academic journals and pricing. We can also put you in touch with library directors who are SPARC members in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. For contacts, visit our Staff page or contact: Jennifer McLennan, SPARC Director of Communications, SPARC - jennifer [at] arl [dot] org or (202) 296-2296 ext 121. Recent Announcements & Site Updates:(See below for more news in: Advocacy | Partners | Publications | Partnering | Pricing). Also see the SPARC News Archive for past updates.
Feb 4, 2010
SPARC ANNOUNCES SPARKY AWARD WINNERS, OPENS PEOPLE’S CHOICE CONTEST Three new student films on information sharing have been voted the best by a panel of new media experts, students, and librarians in the third annual Sparky Awards. Organized by SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) and adopted by campuses everywhere, the Sparky Awards contest calls on entrants to creatively illustrate in a short video the value of openly sharing ideas.
Jan 27, 2010
2009 Sparky Awards at Penn Celebrate Information Sharing University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Press Release
Jan 25, 2010
David Carlson elected Chair of the SPARC Steering Committee “David Carlson is a committed advocate who sees things through to their conclusion,” said Heather Joseph, SPARC’s Executive Director. “His experience with institutions of all types, and his commitment to deepening the impact of research through expanding access will help SPARC make important new strides in the coming years. The committee and I look forward to having David’s leadership to help us address the challenges and opportunities before us.”
Jan 22, 2010
At SPARC-ACRL Forum, Reality Check on Open Access Monographs By Josh Hadro, Library Journal
Jan 14, 2010
SPARC honors Optical Society of America as a pioneer in scholarly publishing innovation With the launch of Optics Express in 1997, the Optical Society of America (OSA) created an open-access journal that has stood the test of time to become a both a scientific and financial success. For being a shining example of community-driven creativity and innovation in scholarly communications, the Optical Society of America has been named the first SPARC Innovator of 2010.
Dec 17, 2009
White House Signals Interest in Open Access with Public Call for Comments Josh Hadro- Library Journal
Dec 1, 2009
SPARC-ACRL forum at ALA to examine open-access monographs Three ambitious initiatives to deliver free online access to scholarly monographs will be featured at the next installment of the SPARC-ACRL forum, “The ebook transition: Collaborations and innovations behind open-access monographs.” The forum, co-sponsored by SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), will be held in conjunction with the Boston meeting of the American Library Association in January.
Nov 16, 2009
Nobel Prize-winning scientists support online access to federally funded research results to spur innovation By Heather Joseph
Nov 12, 2009
CONTEST SPONSORS BRING NEW VOICES, MOMENTUM TO FINAL WEEKS OF 2009 SPARKY AWARDS Three new sponsors have thrown their support behind the 2009 Sparky Awards, reinforcing the importance of new media and student voices in the global discussion on access to research, and adding new momentum to the contest in its final weeks: the New Media Consortium, the Center for Social Media, and the Open Video Alliance. Students have until December 6, 2009 to submit their entries.
Nov 6, 2009
(Webcast invitation) New Publishing Models: Developing a common platform for university press e-book distribution The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation recently awarded four university presses with a grant to support development of a collaborative university press electronic book project. The grant will fund multifaceted research into the feasibility of developing a consortium of university presses to deliver e-books to libraries on a shared platform. Monica McCormick, Program Officer for Digital Scholarly Publishing at New York University, will join us to discuss the project.
Oct 29, 2009
International awareness week marks new beginning for enabling the Web and advancing research through Open Access The first International Open Access Week (October 19 – 23) may have just come to a close, but the broad spectrum of initiatives that it showcased ensures that Open Access to research will play a central role in advancing the conduct of research and scholarship for years to come. Events took place on more than 300 higher education, research, and other sites worldwide, illustrating the dramatic growth of the global network that has emerged in support of Open Access. 
Welcome to Open Access Week! from SPARC SPARC is a proud co-organizer of Open Access Week 2009 and is pleased to offer this welcome to the global celebrations, to be held October 19 - 23, 2009. See openaccessweek.org for details. In addition to a welcome and thanks to organizers, partners, and participants, SPARC principals cast the Week in the context of the international movement toward free, open, online, and immediate access to the results of scholarly research. Ideal way to open your week or your session, or to spread the word by email.
Oct 19, 2009
Open Access Week begins Today marks the beginning of the first-ever international awareness week for Open Access to research, October 19 – 23, 2009. Hundreds of leading academic and research sites in over 30 countries will mark the week in unique ways, and express their support for the advancement of knowledge through free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research.
Oct 15, 2009
Student coalition for Open Access solidifies, now represents over 5 million students internationally Washington DC – The student Right to Research Coalition, a group of national, international, and local student associations that advocate for governments, universities, and researchers to adopt Open Access practices, has now grown to include some of the most prominent student organizations from the United States and across the world. The recent addition of 8 new organizations brings the number of students represented by the coalition to over 5 million, demonstrating the broad, passionate support Open Access enjoys from the student community.
Oct 15, 2009
Open Access Week 2009 Update: New videos, posters, simple things you can do Less than one week from today, more than 200 sites around the globe will mark Open Access Week 2009. Research institutes, colleges, universities, and advocacy organizations everywhere will host events or wear buttons to express their support for free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research. In anticipation of this global event, SPARC is pleased to offer a new series of updates and resources to help raise awareness and advance discussion.
Oct 9, 2009
New Guide Describes Models for Open-Access Journals By Jennifer Howard- The Chronicle of Higher Education
Oct 8, 2009
New SPARC guide reviews income models for supporting open-access journals “Who pays for Open Access?” is a key question faced by publishers, authors, and libraries as awareness and interest in free, immediate, online access to scholarly research increases. SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) examines the issue of sustainability for current and prospective open-access publishers in a timely new guide, “Income models for Open Access: An overview of current practice,” by Raym Crow.
Oct 1, 2009
(Closed) Webcast invitation - Administrators and Open Access to research: The view from today (a SPARC pre-OA Week event) Working with administrators will be a key focus on many campuses during Open Access Week 2009. On October 13th, pioneers in engaging administrators on the topic of research access – and facilitating action – will join us to share their experiences in securing support for Open Access at their institutions.
Sep 24, 2009
CHANGING THE GAME: PIONEERS REPORT ON EFFORTS TO SUPPORT OPEN-ACCESS PUBLICATION SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) is highlighting two approaches to establishing and maintaining open-access funds in a new SPARC Member Profile.
Sep 22, 2009
NEW MEDIA INNOVATORS HEAD UP THE 2009 SPARKY AWARDS Winners to be selected by leading faculty and young advocates
Sep 17, 2009
(Registration has closed) Webcast invitation - The next level of student engagement: Open Access Week and beyond (Sept. 30) Tapping into student energy, commitment, and national networks can transform library programs around faculty and campus engagement, including those planned for October. On September 30th, please join us for a Webcast on “The next level of student engagement: Open Access Week and beyond.” Nick Shockey, SPARC’s Student Advocacy Fellow and engineer of the student summit, will discuss new ways to get student attention – including new messages and tools he’s developed, how to connect to the burgeoning student network for Open Access, and how to plug in to the student initiative for Open Access Week.
Sep 2, 2009
September '09 Issue of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter From Peter Suber’s September 2009 issue of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter
Aug 30, 2009
Open Access Advocacy: A Checklist for Research Libraries Swan, Alma. In: Digital Libraries à la Carte : 28 July - 5 August 2009 / ed. Jola G.B. Prinsen. - Tilburg: Ticer, 2009. ISSN 1877-1343
Aug 17, 2009
Duke University Press announces 2010 Euclid Prime pricing [PDF] Duke University Press is pleased to announce that pricing for the 2010 Euclid Prime collection is now available.
Aug 14, 2009
After University of Kansas Approves Open Access, SPARC Pushes for More Norman Oder, Library Journal, 8/13/2009
Aug 5, 2009
SPARC CALLS ON CAMPUSES TO COORDINATE OPEN-ACCESS POLICY EFFORTS Last month, the University of Kansas became the first public university in the U.S. to adopt a policy to ensure free and open access to the results of the institution’s research outputs. As a growing number of colleges and universities embark on the path toward an institutional open-access policy, SPARC invites libraries to take advantage of a new Web resource built to leverage experience gained in establishing such policies to date.
Jul 19, 2009
ALA Conference 2009: Forum's "Doomsday Clock" Countdown Josh Hadro, Library Journal, July 16, 2009
Jul 8, 2009
Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA) Reintroduced in Senate Andrew Richard Albanese, Publishers Weekly - Library Journal, 7/2/2009
Jul 7, 2009
The Directory of Open Access Journals Receives SPARC Europe Award for Outstanding Achievements in Scholarly Communications, 2009 In making the Award to the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) the judging panel noted their ground-breaking promotion of open access journals, their work on setting copyright, metadata, and preservation standards, and their development of a sustainable model of support. Since its launch in 2003 the DOAJ has become a vital part of the OA infrastructure.
Jul 2, 2009
A voice for change from within the publishing establishment: Mike Rossner honored as latest SPARC innovator For creating forward-thinking publishing policies to expand access and verify scientific research, SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) has named Mike Rossner, executive director of the Rockefeller University Press (RUP) in New York the latest SPARC innovator.
Jun 25, 2009
US student bodies call for open access Industry Trends, June 15, 2009 A coalition of student associations in the USA have signed a statement calling on universities, research funders, and researchers to support open access to research.
Jun 25, 2009
ALA Conference 2009: Panel To Address Academic Library “Hard Times” Norman Oder, Library Journal, June 25, 2009
Jun 25, 2009
Taxpayer Alliance applauds bill to broaden access to federal research results - Federal Research Public Access Act introduced today Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA), a bill to ensure free, timely, online access to the published results of research funded by eleven U.S. federal agencies. The proposed bill is welcomed by the Alliance for Taxpayer Access, a coalition of research institutions, consumers, patients, and others formed to support open public access to publicly funded research.
Jun 25, 2009
OASIS Open Access Source Book Now Online A new portal for educational materials on the “concept, principles, advantages, approaches and means to achieving Open Access,” the Open Access Scholarly Information Sourcebook (OASIS), is now online. Launched at the recent ELPUB meeting, the new Web resource was featured at an Open Access Week Web cast today.
Jun 23, 2009
Practical Advice on Bridging the Library-Press Divide Meredith Benjamin, The Exchange Online, June 11, 2009
Jun 23, 2009
Student Statement on the Right to Research Learning and inquiry are impeded when scholars lack access to fellow researchers’ work, and when students lack access to the work of scholars before them.
Jun 23, 2009
Copyright law prevents access to millions of 'orphan works' Research Information, June 15, 2009
Jun 23, 2009
Medical Students, Other Student Groups Endorse Open Access Josh Hadro, Library Journal, 6/18/2009
Jun 16, 2009
Open Access Growing Steadily, But Powerful Gatekeepers Remain The recent vote by MIT faculty to freely and publicly distribute research articles they write marks a sea change in the relationship between academic authors and publishers of scientific journals.
Jun 15, 2009
Innovators to challenge the economic crisis at the SPARC-ACRL forum Library and publishing innovators will offer concrete data and strategies for “Rough waters: Navigating hard times in the scholarly communication marketplace,” at the next SPARC-ACRL forum. The forum, to be held at the Chicago meeting of the American Library Association in July, is co-sponsored by SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
Jun 11, 2009
Webcast invitation – The home-field advantage: A report on OADay events at Duke (June 25) A commentator frequently featured by the Financial Times, Dr. James Boyle is a law professor who is increasingly well known for his articulate and poignant arguments in support of wider access to research. Josh Sommer is a student, patient, and co-founder of the Chordoma Foundation, challenging the likes of Dr. Boyle for their celebrity as he too gains renown as an impassioned and convincing advocate for Open Access to research. Duke University is fortunate to name both of these compelling individuals citizens on campus – and library staff were quick to use this home-field advantage when they made plans for Open Access Day in 2008.
Jun 11, 2009
Practical Advice on Bridging the Library-Press Divide Meredith Benjamin, The Exchange Online, 11 June 2009
Jun 10, 2009
National student organizations call for Open Access to research A coalition of national and regional college student associations today issued a “Student Statement on the Right to Research,” calling on universities, research funders, and researchers to take action in support of Open Access to research. The American Medical Student Association, the Student PIRGs, Students for Free Culture, and Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, as well as the Trinity University Association of Student Representatives and the California Institute of Technology Graduate Student Council have signed the statement.
May 28, 2009
Webcast invitation: SCOAP3 – An opportunity to create change In follow up to the recent release of a new set of Frequently Asked Questions on the SCOAP3 initiative, SPARC and ACRL are pleased to host Dr. Salvatore Mele, Head of Open Access at CERN and spokesperson for SCOAP3, at a live Web cast to explore the process of committing to the consortium, establishing its governing board, the project's conditions for the call for tender, and to answer remaining questions. Please join us.
May 11, 2009
Now Online: Webcast - Increasing Use and Content Through Creative Service-Repository Bundling This web event on April 15, featured Joan Giesecke and Paul Royster from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln speaking on value-added services and practices for content recruitment and document preparation, policies and implementation, staffing requirements, and software customization and design; as well as the central role of the library's IR in an overall campus strategy for scholarly communication and publication. Read more about the event
May 5, 2009
SPARC and ACRL announce Chicago ALA forum will focus on the economy The next SPARC-ACRL forum on emerging issues in scholarly communication, to be held at the Chicago meeting of the American Library Association in July, will explore “Rough waters: Navigating hard times in the scholarly communication marketplace.”
Apr 30, 2009
Radio Berkman: Open Accessories Peter Suber, Senior Researcher at SPARC gives us little look inside the battle for Open Access.
Apr 30, 2009
BioOne News, April 2009 The BioOne News, a quarterly electronic newsletter for BioOne publishers, librarians, partners and the entire extended BioOne community is now available online.
Apr 30, 2009
Open Access Directory celebrates its first year online - Increasing demand drives success of Open Access resources As growing appreciation of Open Access to research drives demand for new resources – on what Open Access is and how it benefits faculty, students and researchers worldwide – the popular Open Access Directory (OAD) marks its first anniversary today.
Apr 28, 2009
A challenge to Goliath By Mike Rossner. Published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, April 27, 2009. Megapublishers obligate librarians to buy hundreds of journals they do not need in order to access the journals their constituents actually read. The time has come to challenge this business model, which is unsustainable for the libraries.
Apr 28, 2009
SPARC and ACRL release new SCOAP3 FAQ - More libraries commit to innovative new proposal with answers to key questions Key details about the SCOAP3 innovative proposal to change the dynamics of publishing in High-Energy Physics are highlighted in a new set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from SPARC and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
Apr 21, 2009
Fair to whom? New House bill challenges public access By Heather Joseph, C&RL News, April 2009
Apr 20, 2009
Randy Olsen Receives Inaugural Goldstein Award to Advance Scholarly Communication BioOne and the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) honored Brigham Young University’s University Librarian for the Harold B. Lee Library Randy J. Olsen with its inaugural Howard Goldstein Award to Advance Scholarly Communication. Howard’s son Alex Goldstein presented the award on April 16, 2009, at a special ceremony in conjunction with BioOne’s annual meeting of publishers, librarians, and partners.
Apr 20, 2009
Webcast invitation - UMich’s March Open Access Week: Lessons and Ideas On April 30, Molly Kleinman from the University of Michigan Library will join us to talk about why the library decided a comprehensive program on Open Access was important, how the team secured administrative support and funding, how they attracted faculty, students, and others to events across campus, what they learned and would do differently next time, what “Copyright Jeopardy” is, exactly, and share her thoughts in general. Participating in the Webcast is recommended for all who plan to or may celebrate Open Access Week in October.
Apr 9, 2009
SPARKY VIDEO CONTEST GOES LOCAL, ADDS PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD The organizers of the popular Sparky Awards, which recognize the best new short videos on the value of information sharing, are calling on colleges and universities to organize their own campus video competitions in 2009 to get maximum benefit from the third-annual installment of the contest.
Mar 24, 2009
The "Other" Sustainability Problem by Diane J. Graves. EDUCAUSE Review, March/April 2009.
Mar 19, 2009
Webcast invitation: Increasing use and content through creative service-repository bundling; the case at University of Nebraska-Lincoln Wed., April 15, 2009 - 9:00 a.m. PT; 12:00 p.m. ET. There is no fee to attend.
Mar 9, 2009
New program helps Canadian researchers get greater reach for their research “Research is more valuable when it’s shared,” according to a new educational initiative launched in partnership by the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) and SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition). Called, “Greater Reach for Your Research,” the campaign encourages Canadian authors to use their campus digital repository to increase the use and impact of their research outputs.
Mar 5, 2009
Open Access Week declared for 2009 To accommodate widespread global interest in the movement toward Open Access to scholarly research results, October 19 – 23, 2009 will mark the first international Open Access Week. The now-annual event, expanded from one day to a full week, presents an opportunity to broaden awareness and understanding of Open Access to research, including access policies from all types of research funders, within the international higher education community and the general public.
Feb 25, 2009
Online access = more citations By Elie Dogan of The Scientist. (Available only to subscribers). Free online availability of scientific articles increases the likelihood of papers getting cited, especially in the developing world and in the biomedical sciences, according to a new study published today in Science...
Feb 23, 2009
SPARC releases videos on digital repository development, Announces 2010 meeting Experts and advocates examine the state of the art in digital repositories in a new series of videos now freely available online from SPARC. Also, by popular demand, SPARC has announced it will host the third SPARC Digital Repositories Meeting on November 8 & 9, 2010, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Feb 17, 2009
In New Letter, Library Associations Voice Strong Opposition to Anti-NIH Bill by Andrew Albanese, Library Journal. February 17, 2009.
Feb 9, 2009
Heather Joseph Q & A: An Open Access Advocate Discusses Why She Feels Overturning the NIH Policy Would be a Big Mistake The Scientist, February 9, 2009. Free registration required to access.
Feb 9, 2009
Federal Players: The NIH's David Lipman From the Partnership for Public Service. The Washington Post, February 9, 2009.
Feb 5, 2009
Bill Against NIH Open-Access Policy Back in House by Matt Jones. GenomeWeb Daily News, February 5, 2009.
Feb 5, 2009
New Wrinkles as Bill Banning NIH-Like Public Access Resurfaces by Andrew Albanese. The Library Journal, February 5, 2009.
Feb 3, 2009
SPARKY AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED Four student productions are winners of the second annual Sparky Awards, a contest organized by SPARC and adopted by campuses nationwide that calls on entrants to creatively illustrate in a short video the value of sharing ideas.
Jan 22, 2009
New SPARC Guide and Online Community Aid Library-University Press Collaboration SPARC today released Campus-based Publishing Partnerships: A guide to critical issues, by Raym Crow. The guide is the core of a new Web site, the Campus-based Publishing Resource Center, designed by a panel of advisors from the library and university press communities to support successful publishing partnerships
Jan 21, 2009
Preston McAfee named newest SPARC innovator SPARC has named economics scholar and author R. Preston McAfee the newest SPARC innovator for his pioneering contributions to the Open Educational Resources movement and passionate advocacy for Open Access.
Jan 21, 2009
DSpace Foundation, Fedora Commons, Sun Microsystems and SPARC Present All About Repositories Webinar Series Got a repository? Would you like to understand more about what repositories are and how they operate? This spring DSpace Foundation, Fedora Commons, Sun Microsystems and SPARC (The Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition) will offer a free About Repositories Webinar Series to provide professional learning opportunities for repository managers, developers, curators and decision makers. The seminar series will kick off on Feb. 18 at 9:00 a.m. PT with DSpace and Fedora: A Collaboration Update presented by Michele Kimpton, Executive Director, DSpace Foundation, and Sandy Payette, Executive Director Fedora Commons. In Advocacy
Jan 19, 2010
Public access to federally funded research: SPARC comments Submitted to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, January 19, 2010
Jan 19, 2010
(Passed) DEADLINE THURSDAY - Let the White House know you support public access to publicly funded research January 21 is the *final* deadline to submit comments in response to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Request for Information (RFI) on public access to publicly funded research. Your input will be *critical* in helping the administration to form a deep and balanced view of stakeholders’ interest in ensuring public access.
Jan 3, 2010
Share your views on public access: New phase of discussion with the White House underway now The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) now invites your input on the *management* of policies to deliver public access to the published results of taxpayer-funded research, to be submitted to the online discussion no later than TOMORROW, January 7, 2010.
Dec 17, 2009
White House Signals Interest in Open Access with Public Call for Comments Josh Hadro- Library Journal
Dec 15, 2009
CALL TO ACTION: Let the White House know you support public access to public funded research
Dec 9, 2009
White House invites public comment on public access to federally funded research results "On his first day in office, the President issued a Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government that called for an 'unprecedented level of openness in government'' and the rapid disclosure of one of our nation's great assets--information. Moreover, the Administration is dedicated to maximizing the return on Federal investments made in R&D. ... This RFI focuses on approaches that would enhance the public's access to scholarly publications resulting from research conducted by employees of a Federal agency or from research funded by a Federal agency." Deadline is January 7, 2010.
Nov 23, 2009
NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS BACK BILL FOR PUBLIC ACCESS The Presidents of six public universities in New England have issued a letter of support for the Federal Research Public Access Act (S.1373), demonstrating that commitment to public access to publicly funded research resides at the top-most level of research institution administration. Together, these six land-grant universities enroll over 100,000 students, confer ~17% of the bachelor’s and 20% of the doctoral degrees in New England, and invest more than $700 million annually on research with the support of federal grants.
Nov 10, 2009
Nobel Prize-winning scientists urge Congress to act to ensure free online access to federally funded research results “For America to obtain an optimal return on our investment in science, publicly funded research must be shared as broadly as possible,” is the message that forty one Nobel Prize-winning scientists in medicine, physics, and chemistry gave to Congress in an open letter delivered yesterday.
Sep 23, 2009
57 College Presidents Declare Support for Legislation to Ensure Public Access to Publicly Funded Research in the U.S. The Presidents of 57 liberal arts colleges in the U.S., representing 22 states, have declared their support for the Federal Research Public Access Act (S. 1373) in an Open Letter released today. The letter is the first from higher education administrators to be issued in support of the 2009 bill, and further reinforcement that support for the Act exists at the highest levels of the higher education community.
Aug 21, 2009
NIH Public Access Update: Clarifying Use of the NIH Manuscript Submission Reference Number (NIHMSID)
Aug 5, 2009
SPARC CALLS ON CAMPUSES TO COORDINATE OPEN-ACCESS POLICY EFFORTS Last month, the University of Kansas became the first public university in the U.S. to adopt a policy to ensure free and open access to the results of the institution’s research outputs. As a growing number of colleges and universities embark on the path toward an institutional open-access policy, SPARC invites libraries to take advantage of a new Web resource built to leverage experience gained in establishing such policies to date.
Jul 14, 2009
Canada Joins International Effort to Provide Access to Health Research Pubmed Central repository will open a new pathway to Canadian health research.
Jul 8, 2009
Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA) Reintroduced in Senate Andrew Richard Albanese, Publishers Weekly - Library Journal, 7/2/2009
Jun 26, 2009
CALL TO ACTION: Tell Congress you support the Federal Research Public Access Act On June 25, Senators Lieberman (I-CT) and Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Federal Research Public Access Act (S.1373), a bill that would ensure free, timely, online access to the published results of research funded by eleven U.S. federal agencies. Express your support for this bill today.
Jun 25, 2009
Taxpayer Alliance applauds bill to broaden access to federal research results - Federal Research Public Access Act introduced today Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA), a bill to ensure free, timely, online access to the published results of research funded by eleven U.S. federal agencies. The proposed bill is welcomed by the Alliance for Taxpayer Access, a coalition of research institutions, consumers, patients, and others formed to support open public access to publicly funded research.
Mar 12, 2009
First U.S. Public Access Policy Made Permanent President Obama yesterday signed into law the 2009 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes a provision making the National Institutes’ of Health (NIH) Public Access Policy permanent. The NIH Revised Policy on Enhancing Public Access requires eligible NIH-funded researchers to deposit electronic copies of their peer-reviewed manuscripts into the National Library of Medicine’s online archive, PubMed Central (PMC). Full texts of the articles are made publicly available and searchable online in PMC no later than 12 months after publication in a journal.
Feb 11, 2009
CALL TO ACTION: Ask your Representative to oppose the H.R. 801 – The Fair Copyright in Research Works Act Your action still needed!
Feb 9, 2009
Heather Joseph Q & A: An Open Access Advocate Discusses Why She Feels Overturning the NIH Policy Would be a Big Mistake The Scientist, February 9, 2009. Free registration required to access.
Feb 9, 2009
Federal Players: The NIH's David Lipman From the Partnership for Public Service. The Washington Post, February 9, 2009.
Feb 5, 2009
Bill Against NIH Open-Access Policy Back in House by Matt Jones. GenomeWeb Daily News, February 5, 2009.
Feb 5, 2009
New Wrinkles as Bill Banning NIH-Like Public Access Resurfaces by Andrew Albanese. The Library Journal, February 5, 2009.
Feb 5, 2009
Anti-Open Access Bill a Real Head-Scratcher by Gigi Sohn. Published on Public Knowledge, February 5, 2009.
Jan 15, 2009
Public Access to the Published Results of Publicly Funded Research Will Benefit the Economy, Science, and Health (January 2009) [PDF]
Jan 14, 2009
Vote for Public Access as a priority for the Obama administration The president-elect's Citizen's Briefing Book gives us a chance to vote for Public Access to research as an issue that should be introduced to him when he takes office. Add your vote now.
Jan 6, 2009
Honorable Mentions: The LJAN Top Ten Stories of 2008, 4-10 5) NIH Public Access Policy Enacted, Challenged
Dec 22, 2009
(Closed) Special request for the IR and Open Data communities The White House needs to hear from you! As part of the Request for Information issued two weeks ago, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is inviting your contributions to an online discussion on the “Features and Technology” required to implement “public access to archived publications resulting from research funded by federal science and technology agencies.” In Partners
Dec 16, 2009
SCOAP3 needs your support NOW to move forward No money changes hands now. Please submit your expression of interest today.
Aug 17, 2009
Duke University Press announces 2010 Euclid Prime pricing [PDF] Duke University Press is pleased to announce that pricing for the 2010 Euclid Prime collection is now available.
Jul 19, 2009
BioOne News, July 2009 [PDF] The July 2009 issue of BioOne News, a quarterly electronic newsletter for BioOne publishers, librarians, partners, and the entire extended BioOne community, is now available for download.
Jul 19, 2009
New and improved impact factors for BioMed Central journals in the 2008 JCR Matthew Cockerill, BioMed Central Blog, June 24, 2009
Jul 19, 2009
SPARC Japan and Project Euclid partner to enhance and expand Japanese mathematics scholarly communications online Project Euclid News Briefs, July 7, 2009
Jul 7, 2009
The Directory of Open Access Journals Receives SPARC Europe Award for Outstanding Achievements in Scholarly Communications, 2009 In making the Award to the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) the judging panel noted their ground-breaking promotion of open access journals, their work on setting copyright, metadata, and preservation standards, and their development of a sustainable model of support. Since its launch in 2003 the DOAJ has become a vital part of the OA infrastructure.
Jun 16, 2009
Gaining the momentum: eIFL marks five year commitment to Open Access in South Africa Description
eIFL has been an active proponent of the OA movement since its inception and was one of the original signatories of the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI). The eIFL-OA programme has established itself as a major advocate for Open Access policies and practices globally. eIFL returns to South Africa in May 2009 for a one-day workshop “Gaining the momentum: Open Access and Advancement of Science and Research”.
Apr 30, 2009
Radio Berkman: Open Accessories Peter Suber, Senior Researcher at SPARC gives us little look inside the battle for Open Access.
Apr 30, 2009
BioOne News, April 2009 The BioOne News, a quarterly electronic newsletter for BioOne publishers, librarians, partners and the entire extended BioOne community is now available online.
Apr 10, 2009
Open Access Evangelist Wins 2009 Benjamin Franklin Award Open Access News, April 6, 2009.
Mar 24, 2009
Lund University supports publishing in OA journals In the 2009 budget Lund university has approved of funding publication fees in Open Access journals with 1,5 million SEK (190,000$) with the intention to encourage and assist publishing in open access journals.
Mar 9, 2009
New program helps Canadian researchers get greater reach for their research “Research is more valuable when it’s shared,” according to a new educational initiative launched in partnership by the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) and SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition). Called, “Greater Reach for Your Research,” the campaign encourages Canadian authors to use their campus digital repository to increase the use and impact of their research outputs.
Feb 18, 2009
eIFL.net and Bioline International signed the Memorandum of Understanding to promote open access
Jan 27, 2009
The Publisher's Pushback against NIH's Public Access and Scholarly Publishing Sustainability by John Willinsky. Published in PLoS Biology, January 27, 2009 In Publications
Sep 24, 2009
Income Models for Supporting Open Access This Web site and accompanying guide provide an overview of income models currently being used to support the open-access distribution of peer-reviewed scholarly and scientific journals. These resources will be a useful tool both for publishers exploring new potential sources of income and for libraries weighing where to direct meager library funds.
Sep 22, 2009
SPARC Member Spotlight: Testing the waters with open-access funds (University of California at Berkeley and the University of Calgary) In a move to encourage researchers to make their work open to the public, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Calgary established funds that faculty and graduate students could use cover publication charges for open access journals. After a year of implementation in Calgary and Berkeley, librarians at these universities are reviewing their efforts and are pleased to report on the results.
Sep 4, 2009
Order your SPARC t-shirts for Open Access Week Open Access, SPARC, and Author Rights are current designs.
Sep 2, 2009
September '09 Issue of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter From Peter Suber’s September 2009 issue of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter
Aug 2, 2009
August 09' edition of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter From Peter Suber’s August 2009 issue of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter
Jul 13, 2009
A Different Kind of Conversation: The Sparky Awards and Fresh Views on Change in Scholarly Communication [PDF] Jennifer McLennan, Director of Communications, SPARC
Jul 8, 2009
July edition of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter By Peter Suber. This issue takes a close look at OA and the variety of digitization projects.
Jun 25, 2009
Webcast - The home-field advantage: A report on OADay events at Duke A commentator frequently featured by the Financial Times Dr. James Boyle is a law professor who is increasingly well known for his articulate and poignant arguments in support of wider access to research. Josh Sommer is a student, patient, and co-founder of the Chordoma Foundation, challenging the likes of Dr. Boyle for their celebrity as he too gains renown as an impassioned and convincing advocate for Open Access to research. Duke University is fortunate to name both of these compelling individuals citizens on campus – and library staff were quick to use this home-field advantage when they made plans for Open Access Day in 2008. Recorded June 25, 2009.
Jun 10, 2009
Webcast - SCOAP3: An opportunity to create change In follow up to the recent release of a new set of Frequently Asked Questions on the SCOAP3 initiative, SPARC and ACRL are pleased to host Dr. Salvatore Mele, Head of Open Access at CERN and spokesperson for SCOAP3, at a live Web cast to explore the process of committing to the consortium, establishing its governing board, the project’s conditions for the call for tender, and to answer remaining questions. Recorded June 10, 2009.
Jun 3, 2009
June edition of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter By Peter Suber. This issue takes a close look at the University of Maryland faculty vote rejecting a proposed OA policy. The round-up section briefly notes 165 OA developments from May.
Jun 3, 2009
Lessons from Maryland From the SPARC Open Access Newsletter, June 2009 edition, by Peter Suber. Is the Maryland vote ominous or anomalous? Either way, supporters of OA should try to understand it. Whatever its causes, they could arise again elsewhere...
May 11, 2009
The open access tracking project (OATP) From the May 2009 SPARC Open Access Newsletter, by Peter Suber Two weeks ago I launched the beta version of the open access tracking project (OATP), a collaborative effort to track new OA developments worldwide...
May 4, 2009
May edition of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter By Peter Suber. This issue takes a close look at open access tracking project (OATP), a collaborative tagging effort to capture new OA developments comprehensively and in real time. The round-up section briefly notes 151 OA developments from April.
Apr 30, 2009
Webcast - UMich’s March Open Access Week: Lessons and Ideas On April 30, Molly Kleinman from the University of Michigan Library joined us to talk about why the library decided a comprehensive program on Open Access was important, how the team secured administrative support and funding, how they attracted faculty, students, and others to events across campus, what they learned and would do differently next time, what “Copyright Jeopardy” is, exactly, and share her thoughts in general. Viewing the Webcast is recommended for all who plan to or may celebrate Open Access Week in October.
Apr 21, 2009
Fair to whom? New House bill challenges public access By Heather Joseph, C&RL News, April 2009
Apr 17, 2009
SPARC-Oberlin Group Webcast on Harvard Policy On February 25 SPARC hosted a webcast for Oberlin Group liberal arts colleges about Harvard University’s open access policy. A number of Oberlin Group colleges are in various stages of discussing faculty open access policies similar to those that have been adopted at Harvard, MIT, and the Stanford University School of Education, and the webcast served to reinforce these ongoing conversations by answering key questions from librarians and faculty members. Both Trinity University and Oberlin College are now in advanced stages of policy development.
Apr 15, 2009
Webcast - Increasing Use and Content Through Creative Service-Repository Bundling This web event on April 15, featured Joan Giesecke and Paul Royster from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln speaking on value-added services and practices for content recruitment and document preparation, policies and implementation, staffing requirements, and software customization and design; as well as the central role of the library's IR in an overall campus strategy for scholarly communication and publication. [Read more about the event]
Apr 3, 2009
April edition of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter By Peter Suber. This issue takes a close look at 25 misunderstandings about open access. The round-up section briefly notes 158 OA developments March.
Apr 3, 2009
A field guide to misunderstandings about open access From the April 2009 SPARC Open Access Newsletter, by Peter Suber The woods are full of misunderstandings about OA. They thrive in almost every habitat, and the population soars whenever a major institution adopts an OA policy. Contact between new developments and new observers who haven't followed the annual migrations always results in a colorful boomlet of young misunderstandings. Some of these misunderstandings are mistaken for one another, especially in the flurry of activity, because of their similar markings and habitat. Some are mistaken for understanding by novices unfamiliar with the medley of variant plumage, adaptive camouflage, and deceptive vocalizations. This field guide should help you identify 25 of the most common visitors to your neck of the woods.
Mar 16, 2009
Re-introduction of the bill to kill the NIH policy From the March SPARC Open Access Newsletter, by Peter Suber The Conyers bill is back (or baaaack). This is the bill to repeal the OA policy at the NIH and block similar policies at all other federal agencies. Its sponsors named it the Fair Copyright in Research Works Act, but the bill is to fair copyright what the Patriot Act was to patriotism.
Mar 16, 2009
Open access policy options for funding agencies and universities From the February SPARC Open Access Newsletter, by Peter Suber Every research funding agency should have an OA policy, many already do, and most are probably thinking about it. Here's a guide to the major decisions which come up in framing a new policy, reviewing an older one, or thinking about policies elsewhere. Peter Suber starts with the choice-points facing funding agencies (1-12), and then look briefly at the choice-points which only arise for universities (13-18). He offers a recommendation for each.
Mar 2, 2009
March edition of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter By Peter Suber. This issue takes a close look at the re-introduction of the Fair Copyright in Research Works Act (a.k.a. the Conyers bill, HR 801), which would repeal the OA policy at the NIH and block similar policies at all other federal agencies. The round-up section briefly notes 129 OA developments from February.
Feb 2, 2009
February issue of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter This issue takes a close look at 18 choice-points facing funding agencies and universities when they draft a new OA policy, review an existing policy, or think about policies elsewhere. The round-up section briefly notes 159 OA developments from January.
Jan 23, 2009
Campus-based publishing partnerships: A guide to critical issues Raym Crow, SPARC Senior Consultant Campus-based publishing partnerships offer the academy greater control over the intellectual products that it helps create. To fully realize this potential, such partnerships will need to evolve from informal working alliances to long-term, programmatic collaborations. SPARC’s Campus-based Publishing Partnerships: A Guide to Critical Issues addresses issues relevant to building sound and balanced partnerships, including: Establishing governance and administrative structures; Identifying funding models that accommodate the objectives of both libraries and presses; Defining a partnership’s objectives to align the missions of the library and the press; Determining what services to provide; and Demonstrating the value of the collaboration. SPARC’s Campus-based Publishing Partnerships will help libraries, presses, and academic units to define effective partnerships capable of supporting innovative approaches to campus-based publishing.
Jan 2, 2009
January issue of the SPARC Open Access Newsletter This issue reviews the notable OA developments from 2008. The round-up section briefly notes 143 OA developments from December. In Partnering
Jun 23, 2009
Practical Advice on Bridging the Library-Press Divide Meredith Benjamin, The Exchange Online, June 11, 2009
Jun 16, 2009
Open Access Membership: Reporting tool brings convenience and control Following the recent rapid growth of institutional Memberships for open access publications, innovative publisher BioMed Central announces the introduction of the "Online Reporting System" for its open access Prepay and Postpay Membership accounts.
Jun 11, 2009
Practical Advice on Bridging the Library-Press Divide Meredith Benjamin, The Exchange Online, 11 June 2009
Jun 10, 2009
PLoS Progress Report, June 2009 [PDF] The Public Library of Science releases their progress report detailing their current financial statement, impressive statistics and more.
Jun 9, 2009
Index of campus-based publishing partnerships - now online The Scholarly Communication Program, based at Columbia University Libraries/Information Services' Center for Digital Research and Scholarship, now offers an index of campus-based publishing partnerships. The index employs framework and data from "Campus-based publishing partnerships: A guide to critical issues" by Raym Crow, and is part of the Campus-based Publishing Resource Center organized by the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC).
Apr 3, 2009
U-M redefining scholarly publications in the digital age U-M Press refocuses on disseminating ideas, adding authors, printing on demand. From the UMich News service, Mar. 23, 2009. In Pricing
Apr 17, 2009
Reality Bites: Periodicals Price Survey 2009 Van Orsdel, L. and Born, K.Library Journal, April 15, 2009.
Apr 15, 2008
Periodicals Price Survey 2008: Embracing Openness Global initiatives and startling successes hint at the profound implications of open access on journal publishing |
