Past SPARC Events

Below you can find an archive of previous SPARC events. Click here to view upcoming SPARC events.

  • Jul 10

    July 10: Webinar: Leveraging NIST’s Research Data Framework to Implement Effective Data Policies and Practices

    2 pm ET / 11 am PT  ·   Open Data

    SPARC and HELIOS Open will host a joint webinar on the National Institute of Standards & Technology's (NIST) Research Data Framework (RDaF) on Wednesday, July 10th at 2 pm ET / 11 am PT. In February, NIST released Version 2.0 of its RDaF including an interactive web application. The RDaF is a customizable tool that can be used by researchers, librarians, and higher education leaders to inform research data management activities on a variety of topics including costs, reproducibility, and the balance of security and openness. Higher education institutions are already finding value by leveraging the RDaF to evaluate existing campus data policies and practices and inform new ones which will be critical in implementing the 2022 Nelson Memorandum. This session will provide an update on the new features of the RDaF 2.0 and explore ways to use the framework through an example from the State University of New York (SUNY). There will be ample time for Q&A.

    The webinar is open to individuals at SPARC and HELIOS Open institutions.

  • Apr 24

    April 24: SPARC Webcast: Addressing Vendor AI Restrictions

    Academic publishers are increasingly seeking to restrict the use of AI, through both contract language and revisions to copyright notices. On April 24th at 3pm ET / 12pm PT, SPARC will host a one-hour webcast to better equip libraries in pushing back on these restrictions. The session will touch on successful institutional approaches to weakening these restrictions (Katie Zimmerman, MIT), ICOLC’s newly released guiding principles for AI clauses (Teri Gallaway, SCELC, ICOLC), and the continuing viability of fair use in light of these developments (Kyle K. Courtney, Harvard). Participants on the call will be invited to share recent experiences negotiating these terms and suggestions for better supporting libraries in this area.

    Registration is required and open to anyone at a SPARC member institution.

  • Apr 09

    April 09: April OpenCon Librarian Community Call

    2024 has already been an active year for policy, both for open research and open education. The Canadian Tri-Agencies are in the midst of active consultations to update their open research policy to require sharing results without delay. In the U.S., language that would have prevented implementation of the 2022 OSTP Memo was successfully removed from the House CJS appropriations bill before passage, and the Biden Administration has expressed strong support for requiring “inclusive access” textbook programs to be opt-in rather than opt-out. On April 9th at 12pm ET / 9am PT, the next OpenCon Librarian Community Call will feature Katie Steen-James, SPARC’s Manager of Public Policy and Advocacy, who will provide an update on these recent developments and answer questions about what’s next on the policy front for open research and education.

    OpenCon Librarian Community Calls are limited to those working in libraries, and registration is required.

  • Mar 07

    March 07: Do We Need a National Open Education Strategy?

    Open Education

    Open education has made remarkable progress, yet the evolving landscape continues to present challenges. As open education work continues to grow at institutions, in states, and across regions, questions increasingly surface about how we might coordinate and advocate more effectively as a field. This includes how to advance open education policies at the national and state level, how to reach institutional leaders, and how to expand sustainable funding.

    NCOER (a collaboration among the four regional education compacts), working together with DOERS3 and SPARC, invited members of the open education field to join us for an open conversation about the potential need for U.S. national open education strategy and discuss how we might better collaborate to advance shared priorities. This webinar will share the results of these conversations.

  • Feb 09

    February 09: Rapid Reaction Webcast: Negotiated Rulemaking & Automatic Textbook Billing

    Open Education

    The SPARC policy team will provide a briefing on how regulatory changes proposed in the U.S. Department of Education's negotiated rulemaking process could impact automatic textbook billing ("Inclusive Access" and "Equitable Access" programs).

    Registration is open to members of the SPARC community and coalition partners. The webcast will be recorded and distributed to those who register.

  • Dec 10

    December 10: SPARC Member-only Meetup at CNI 2023

    JW Marriott Washington Open Access

    We are excited to have the opportunity to meet in person again this year. The meeting will include a brief presentation followed by a cocktail reception.

  • Nov 07

    November 07: Open Education Conference 2023

    10 am ET  ·   Webcast Open Education

    The Open Education Conference is an annual convening for sharing and learning about open educational resources, open pedagogy, and open education initiatives.

  • Oct 23

    October 23: International Open Access Week

    Webcast Open Access

    “Community over Commercialization” is the theme for this year’s International Open Access Week (October 23-29). This theme encourages a candid conversation about which approaches to open scholarship prioritize the best interests of the public and the academic community—and which do not.

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