Past SPARC Events
Below you can find an archive of previous SPARC events. Click here to view upcoming SPARC events.
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October 12: 2023 ACRL/SPARC Forum: Editorial Board Resignations to Align Journals with Community over Commercialization
12-1:30pm ET · Webcast Open AccessThe past year has seen a resurgence of journal editorial boards resigning in protest over commercial publisher policies. With a track record stretching back over a decade, these collective resignations are an effective strategy for creating immediate change and empowering researchers to take back control of their publication.
As in years past, many resignations center on objections to high publishing fees, but an increasing number are also driven by pressure to vastly expand publication volume and a dismissive attitude toward scholars’ visions for their journals. The common thread through each is the prioritization of commercialization over the best interests of the communities each journal seeks to serve. -
October 03: What Hachette v. Internet Archive Means for the Continuing Practice of CDL
12-1p ET / 9-10a PT ·Whether through a physical or digital copy, lending materials one object at a time is a core library activity. Despite the publisher challenge in Hachette v. Internet Archive that has put a spotlight on this issue, libraries are continuing the practice of controlled digital lending. As the Internet Archive appeals the initial ruling in the case, libraries may have questions about the case and how this decision may impact them.
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August 18: ORFG Seed Awards: First Webinar R1
Webcast Open EducationThis webinar will highlight the Open Scholarship Seed Award Program recently launched by the Open Research Funders Group (ORFG). This award aims to provide up to USD 4,999 to projects strengthening open scholarship engagement among academic communities at Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) in the U.S. or at academic institutions in low and middle-income countries.
This first webinar is to share more about the program, its objectives, and how it can benefit eligible projects. During the call, we will share insights on the application process and discuss how these programs can make a difference in empowering scholars to embed open scholarship principles in academic communities. -
April 25: COAPI Community Call
2 - 3 pm ET · Webcast Open AccessPlease join us for the next COAPI Community Call on Tuesday, April 25, at 2:00 pm EST.
Kathleen Shearer from COAR and Tina Baich from the U.S. Repository Network will join us to share how they are working together to support the roll out of recent funder public access developments and initiatives such as the OSTP Year of Open Science.
The format of the COAPI Community Calls is modeled on SPARC's OpenCon librarian community calls, which seek to create a supportive environment where challenges can be candidly shared and everyone present is encouraged to participate in and shape the discussion.
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April 10: COAPI Community Call: Understanding the 2022 OSTP Memo and Responding to Agency Public Access Plans
2 - 3 pm ET · Webcast Open AccessKatie Steen-James, SPARC’s Manager of Public Policy & Advocacy, will provide an update on implementation of the 2022 OSTP Memo and NIH's current Request for Information on their draft public access plan. She will walk through SPARC's analysis of NIH's plan, outline recommendations the library community may consider in responding to the agency's RFI, and review timing for forthcoming agency plans. There will be ample time for Q&A and for participants to discuss how they are preparing for the implementation of the memo on campus.
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April 06: U.S. Repository Network Action Plan Update
4 - 5pm ET · Webcast Open AccessThis session will share information about the development of the USRN and progress on its Action Plan 2022-2023, including desirable characteristics for digital publication repositories. A set of desirable characteristics alongside good practices is necessary to establish suitability of a digital publication repository to be an “agency-designated” repository for federally funded research as outlined in the August 2023 OSTP Memorandum. These desirable characteristics are intended to align/work in parallel with OSTP’s already issued Desirable Characteristics of Data Repositories for Federally Funded Research.
The U.S. Repository Network (USRN) is envisioned as an inclusive community committed to advancing repositories in the U.S. through advocacy, good practices, and community building. In this context, “U.S. repositories” refers to all open research repositories based in the U.S. regardless of content, host, or platform. That is, repositories containing articles, data, gray literature, and emerging forms of scholarship; repositories hosted by higher education institutions, research centers, or other nonprofit organizations; and repositories using open source or vended platforms, are considered to be part of this network. All such repositories are welcome to participate in the USRN as we seek to build value for all repositories in the U.S.
Join us to learn more about the U.S. Repository Network and inform its future work on April 6, 2023, 4-5pm ET. -
March 29: Open Textbook Pilot Rapid Reaction Webcast
1 - 2pm ET · Webcast Open EducationSPARC’s policy team will offer an overview of the 2023 notice inviting applications for the Department of Education's Open Textbook Pilot Program and successful grantees from previous rounds will offer insights.
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February 08: 3rd United Nations Open Science Conference
9:30am - 1:30pm EST · Webcast Open Access · Open DataFrom 8 to 10 February 2023—in the lead-up to the International Day of Women and Girls in Science—the 3rd Open Science Conference will bring together policy makers, representatives of intergovernmental organizations, researchers, scholars, librarians, publishers, and civil society.