Founded in 1998, SPARC is a nonprofit organization that supports open systems for research and education that enable everyone, everywhere to access, contribute to, and benefit from the knowledge that shapes our world.
As a catalyst for action, our pragmatic agenda focuses on driving policy change, supporting member action, and cultivating communities that advance our vision of knowledge as a public good.
SPARC’s membership includes about 250 libraries and academic organizations across North America. This membership is complemented by affiliated SPARC coalitions in Africa, Europe, and Japan as well as individual member organizations in Australia and Hong Kong. SPARC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is known by its acronym, which stands for the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition.