COAR and SPA
RC have a shared vision of creating a global, open knowledge sharing system that centers diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we believe repositories play a central role in achieving this vision.
To that end, we are delighted to announce that Tina Baich will be taking on the position as Visiting Program Officer for US Repository Network beginning on September 1, 2021. Tina is Senior Associate Dean for Scholarly Communication & Content Strategies at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis and is responsible for the leadership, strategic vision, and overall management of the library’s scholarly communication and collection/content activities and initiatives. Tina will spend about a quarter of her time in the newly established role.
“Tina brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm to this position,” says Heather Joseph. “We are thrilled to be working with her to help catalyze a robust repository network in the US.”
A strong vision for repositories in the US, along with collective actions that ensure their quality, sustainability and interoperability, will greatly benefit the scholarly community, and will contribute to the development of a global knowledge sharing system that is both open by default and equitable by design. With the introduction of significant new functionalities through the COAR Next Generation Repositories Initiative and the COAR Notify Project, repositories are poised to take on a more expansive and innovative role in scholarly communications.
“We are at a critical time in the evolution of repositories globally,” says Kathleen Shearer, COAR Executive Director. “Tina’s leadership will be critical for charting a course for US repositories to take advantage of these exciting opportunities.”
In this role, Tina will engage the stakeholder community and focus on developing a strategic vision for repositories in the US, increasing awareness about new innovations and promoting the central importance of repositories.
“At IUPUI, we share SPARC and COAR’s strategic vision for the future of repositories and the need to build a more robust repository network in the United States,” said Kristi Palmer, Herbert Simon Family Dean of University Library at IUPUI. “We are excited about the progress that Tina’s appointment will enable—both for the academic library community at large and also here at IUPUI—as we shape our efforts to develop a coordinated approach to repositories across the country and strengthen their role in the open scholarship landscape.”
Tina’s one-year appointment (formally with SPARC, and in partnership with COAR) is possible thanks to the support of IUPUI University Library. SPARC launched the VPO program in 2019 to provide opportunities for staff in SPARC member libraries to contribute to special projects and programs, either in whole or in part, to advance the open agenda. The program provides highly visible professional development opportunities for outstanding staff members and serves the SPARC membership extending SPARC’s capacity to undertake additional activities.