Open Access Week 2012 is underway, and we here at SPARC are watching with delight as the buzz from the announcements, events, contests, launches, and just plain cool activities underway in the community continues to grow.

 

Now in its 6th year, SPARC’s Open Access Week, an annual, global event that promotes the adoption of Open Access as the new norm in research and scholarship, is reaching new heights in terms of its breadth of participation and scope of events. Activities are taking place in more than 100 countries around the world; you can get a great sense of the what’s happening by checking out the round-up of events on the official Open Access Week Website. 

 

The week started with a well-attended (and well-received!) kick-off live event and webcast co-sponsored by SPARC and the World Bank featuring a conversation with 5 Open Access Experts. The program featured perspectives from students, publishers, development organizations, federal agencies and researchers, who explored the current status of Open Access and articulated their visions for its successful implementation. Similar events – too numerous to list – are now underway on campuses and in research institutions around the globe. 

 

A quick check of the Open Access Week 2012 happenings posted so far this week turns up a tremendous range of activities. So far we’ve seen: 

And also some just plain fun things to do, like: 

Remember, the week is all about participation, so be sure and add your events and announcements to the Open Access 2012 website.  And follow and contribute to – the buzz on Twitter at #OAWeek, #OAWeek2012 and #openaccess

 

Happy Open Access Week 2012!