With the 2018 election bringing about leadership changes in the US Congress and action in Europe modifying the conversation on open, SPARC’s policy agenda for the 116th Congress is changing right along with it. We are already working hard to advance SPARC’s policy agenda in Open Education, Open Access, and Open Data. At the same time, we’re keeping a full slate of activities moving in the Executive Branch, and on the state and international levels.

Join us on Thursday, March 14th, at 1pm ET / 10am PT for a one-hour, confidential update for SPARC members on the current policy landscape, and an assessment of where our best opportunities lie for making continued progress in the 116th Congress.

Registration is free but required, and will be limited to individuals affiliated with a SPARC member institution. All of those registered will receive a unique link to participate by March 12th, along with instructions for joining the webcast. Due to the sensitive nature of the update, we will not be able to distribute a recording afterward.

On Friday, February 8th, at 1pm EST / 10am PST, SPARC is hosting a members-only briefing with Prof. Jean-Claude Guédon, lead author of the European Commission report released this week on “The Future of Scholarly Publishing and Scholarly Communication." The report analyzes the present states of scholarly communication and publishing, and proposes ten principles through which a vision for scholarly communication should be shaped over the next decade. The report also offers recommendations to key actors in the scholarly communication system—including libraries. Prof. Guédon, who chaired the Expert Group convened by the Commission, will provide an overview of this timely report, situate its recommendations within the broader context of progress toward open research communication, and take questions from the audience.

This webcast is open to anyone at a SPARC member institution, and registration is free but required.

Community Alignment & Equity: Core Priorities for Emerging Scholarly Infrastructure

As we transition more fully into an open system for communicating the results of scholarship, the decisions that libraries make individually and collectively about what and whom to support—and under what terms—will determine whether we meaningfully address inequities created by legacy academic publishing systems or simply recreate them in new ways. These decisions will shape libraries’ role in the scholarly enterprise, now and for the future.

This one-hour panel discussion will explore emerging models for supporting scholarly infrastructure that put alignment with community values and considerations of equity at their core. The conversation will include both the perspective of people who are actively working to build open, community-aligned infrastructure and research funders who are committed to supporting an open system for scholarship that prioritizes equity and the needs of researchers. Moderated by Heather Joseph, Executive Director of SPARC, this session will contextualize these models within the broader market for scholarly infrastructure and highlight the role of libraries in creating a future where values are prioritized over vendors.

Panelists include:

• Leslie Chan: Associate Professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
• Ashley Farley: Associate Officer, Knowledge & Research Services at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Kristen Ratan: Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Collaborative Knowledge Foundation
• Moderator: Heather Joseph: Executive Director of SPARC