US Repository Network launches pilot to enhance discoverability of content in repositories

“COAR has been working with the US Repository Network (USRN) to connect and strengthen the position of repositories in the US.  With the advent of the recent OSTP Memorandum requiring Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access to Federally Funded Research – which directs government research funders and agencies to adopt policies that require adopt immediate public access to articles – the need has become more urgent, especially in terms of effectively tracking research outputs.

The USRN is launching a pilot project aimed at improving the discoverability of articles in repositories. This pilot project involves the use of services from CORE (a not-for-profit aggregator based at Open University in the UK) to evaluate and improve local repository practices. Additional technical support will be provided by Antleaf Ltd.

The one-year project involves 18 repositories representing a variety of institutions, software types and repository models and will result in concrete recommendations and best practice guidelines for machine and human discoverability of research articles in US repositories.  The project will also lead to greater international interoperability of US research outputs.”

Navigating Risk in Vendor Data Privacy Practices – SPARC

“Produced in collaboration with Becky Yoose of LDH Consulting Services, Navigating Risk in Vendor Data Privacy Practices: An Analysis of Elsevier’s ScienceDirect documents a variety of data privacy practices that directly conflict with library privacy standards. The report raises important questions regarding the potential for personal data collected from academic products to be used in the data brokering and surveillance products of RELX’s LexisNexis subsidiary…”

SPARC Report Urges Action to Address Concerns with ScienceDirect Data Privacy Practices | SPARC

Today, SPARC released Navigating Risk in Vendor Data Privacy Practices: An Analysis of Elsevier’s ScienceDirect. Produced in collaboration with Becky Yoose of LDH Consulting Services, the report documents a variety of data privacy practices that directly conflict with library privacy standards, and raises important questions regarding the potential for personal data collected from academic products to be used in the data brokering and surveillance products of RELX’s LexisNexis subsidiary.

[…]

 

CERN-NASA Summit Convenes Open Science Thought Leaders Seeking to Promote Greater Collaboration – SPARC

“More than 100 open science leaders, policymakers, practitioners, and advocates met in Geneva, Switzerland, July 10-14 for a summit sponsored by CERN and NASA to develop strategies for accelerating the adoption of global open science. 

On November 1, organizers released a closing statement and call to action for the work going forward.

Members of the SPARC and the Open Research Funders Group (ORFG) teams who were involved in crafting, presenting, and moderating the program say the event was an encouraging sign of the community coming together to advance open science….”

The Urgency of Putting Community Over Commercialization — International Open Access Week

“To better surface how organizations reflect a commitment to “Community over Commercialization” in their own work, a series of profiles are available on the Open Access Week website that showcase the many ways communities can be prioritized in the shift to open research.

This week provides an opportunity to join together, raise awareness around the importance of community control of knowledge sharing systems, and take action—over the coming days and year-round. Participate in the discussion online using the hashtag #OAweek, and if you’re not already joining an event this week, consider taking part in one of the many locally organized discussions below….”

Experts Assure Library Community that CDL Continues – SPARC

“Despite recent litigation, the practice of controlled digital lending (CDL) continues — and is likely here to stay, according to experts recently gathered for a webinar hosted by SPARC.

“CDL is not dead. It’s been around for a long time. It’s ingrained into a lot of libraries as a means of considering access differently,” said Kyle K. Courtney, a lawyer, librarian, and director of copyright and information policy at Harvard University. “It’s another viable solution for collections that are rare, local, and have little zero market harm, but have high value to communities.” …”

SPARC Announces New Visiting Program Officer for Open Education Leadership

“Christina Riehman-Murphy has joined the SPARC team as a Visiting Program Officer for Open Educational Leadership. Christina is the Sally W. Kalin Librarian for Learning Innovations and Open & Affordable Educational Resources Librarian at Penn State University, and will serve part-time for the next year in this newly-created SPARC VPO role.”

What Hachette v. Internet Archive Means for the Continuing Practice of CDL – SPARC

“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.

On October 3rd from 12-1pm ET / 9-10am PT, SPARC will host a conversation that will provide an overview of the implications of the case so far, discuss how libraries are continuing the practice of controlled digital lending, and touch on what libraries can be doing to support and strengthen this practice moving forward. The event will also touch on the recent Valancourt Books ruling that curbs the U.S. Copyright Office’s ability to require the deposit of physical copies of works with the Library of Congress…”

What Hachette v. Internet Archive Means for the Continuing Practice of CDL

“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.

On October 3rd from 12-1pm ET / 9-10am PT, SPARC will host a conversation that will provide an overview of the implications of the case so far, discuss how libraries are continuing the practice of controlled digital lending, and touch on what libraries can be doing to support and strengthen this practice moving forward. The event will also touch on the recent Valancourt Books ruling that curbs the U.S. Copyright Office’s ability to require the deposit of physical copies of works with the Library of Congress The webcast will feature a variety of perspectives from libraries and copyright experts….”

2023 ACRL/SPARC Forum: Editorial Board Resignations to Align Journals with Community over Commercialization – SPARC

“The 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.”

Agency Public Access Plan Volunteers

“SPARC is seeking volunteers to help analyze the public access plans required by the OSTP Memorandum from the smallest federal agencies. SPARC is asking those interested in volunteering to fill out this form. SPARC will be back in touch with volunteers and provide additional information including training materials and next steps.”

RE: NASA Public Access Plan for Increasing Access to the Results of NASA-Supported Research

“We appreciate the benefits that collaborations with external partners, such as CHORUS, may provide. Because third-party vendors operate under terms that are subject to change, they should serve as a supplement to support compliance, rather than a proxy to indicate compliance. This approach ensures that NASA remains in a strong position to leverage external partners where it benefits the agency and its grantees while retaining flexibility to adapt its approach should the terms change under which services such as CHORUS are offered—without the burden of revising policy.

We further recommend that NASA explicitly emphasize the availability of compliance options that do not present financial barriers. NASA’s plan and associated policies and guidance should clearly describe how authors can fully comply with its public access policy at no cost by depositing the author’s accepted manuscript into NASA’s PubSpace or any other agency-approved repository.

Because authors may be encouraged to pay added Open Access fees in circumstances when they are unnecessary for compliance, NASA should clarify that any charges from publishers are publication charges—not compliance charges. It is critical that authors do not conflate compliance with article processing charges (APCs), which create significant barriers for less-well-resourced authors and institutions to make their research available. It is important for researchers to understand that the option to post their final peer-reviewed manuscript into an agency-designated repository is an affordable and equitable full compliance mechanism that is available to them.

Institutional repositories run by libraries and other research institutions generally do not charge authors to deposit articles or manuscripts. These can play an important role in easing compliance burdens on authors, improving discoverability of research outputs, and providing long-term preservation support. Therefore, we strongly recommend that NASA allow for the deposit of publications into other repositories beyond PubSpace, and suggest that NASA utilize the guidance set out in the U.S. Repository Network’s Desirable Characteristics of Digital Publications Repositories….”

Rapid Reaction Discussion on Sec. 552

“SPARC will host a rapid reaction discussion on Section 552 of the draft House CJS Appropriations bill, which would block all funding for implementation of the Nelson Memo and undermine 15 years of federal precedent in expanding public access to research.

On the call, we will share the latest updates, provide further guidance on engaging legislators, and answer questions from SPARC members about this language and the actions that you can take to help stop it.”