Who owns the copyright in scholarly work has been one of the most confusing, yet most important, legal questions in the move toward #OpenAccess. Learn more at our free webcast w/ Dave Hansen @AuthorsAlliance Next week, June 4 @ 1-2:30pm ET. Register now: https://sparcopen.org/news/2025/oa-101-round-2-visibility-impact-problematizing-predatory-publishing-and-authors-rights/

SPARC's Negotiation Community of Practice's Data Analysis Working Group has developed an array of resources to support libraries in leveraging data in negotiations w/ publishers. Read about the value of usage statistics, considerations for #OpenAcess investment & more. https://sparcopen.org/our-work/negotiation-resources/data-analysis/

Join us Thursday, May 29, at 1 p.m. EDT for a webcast focusing on AI issues. The event is open to those working in SPARC member libraries. Register now.
https://sparcopen.org/event/sparc-webcast-oa-attribution-and-addressing-faculty-ai-concerns/

Here's to Re:Create Coalition's new #FairUseFriday series! This cross-section of groups is dedicated to balanced copyright & a free & open internet, including libraries, civil libertarians, online rights advocates, start-ups, consumers, & tech companies.

Mark your calendar June 4 from 1-2:30 pm EDT. Last in our #OpenAccess101 series will focus on "Who Owns Scholarly Work? Copyright and Open Access" w/ Dave Hansen @authorsalliance.bsky.social. Webinars are free & open to anyone working in libraries.
Register now: https://sparcopen.org/news/2025/oa-101-round-2-visibility-impact-problematizing-predatory-publishing-and-authors-rights/

See what's happening with #OpenEducationalResources in your part of the country. Please contact us if you are aware of state policies not tracked on our list. We want to keep you informed on the latest #OER efforts to help improve student success in #highered.

https://sparcopen.org/our-work/state-policy-tracking/

SPARC has invited Klaudia Jaźwińska & Aisvarya Chandrasekar (Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Univ.) Dave Hansen (Authors Alliance) & Peter Suber (Harvard Univ.) to discuss issues of AI tool development on May 29 at 1-2 p.m. EDT. SPARC members can register at: https://sparcopen.org/event/sparc-webcast-oa-attribution-and-addressing-faculty-ai-concerns/

Shout out to the #Ebook Study Group & this major step toward fairer digital content terms that support the library mission!
https://www.ebookstudygroup.org/connecticut_house_passes_landmark_ebook_bill

Colleges & universities have a responsibility to prioritize the needs of students—not vendors. To understand automatic textbook billing deals campuses make w/ publishers, SPARC has collected 250 contracts from 144 institutions in 38 states. Click to download & read: https://sparcopen.org/our-work/automatic-textbook-billing/contract-library/

The U.S. Repository Network has brought together library leaders to develop a cohesive approach to repository practice & the results are beginning to have an impact. Read about tools to enhance discoverability & the benefits of collaboration. https://sparcopen.org/impact-story/usrn-pilot-highlights-potential-to-unleash-discoverable-research/

It's not too late to sign up for our #OpenAccess 101 webinar happening TODAY, MAY 14, from 1-2:30 p.m. EDT. SPARC membership is not required. The event is free & all are welcome, particularly those at institutions with fewer resources to support OA-related work. https://sparcopen.org/event/oa-101-problematizing-predatory-publishing/

Canceled a big deal? Let us know! If your library has canceled or renegotiated a big deal w/ a publisher in the past few years, please take a moment to check whether it is reflected in our Big Deal Cancellation Tracker. If it's not, contact SPARC to add your entry.

https://sparcopen.org/our-work/big-deal-cancellation-tracking/

Join us in welcoming Carly Robinson to the SPARC team as our new Senior Policy Fellow! A recognized international leader in the open research and persistent identifier communities, she brings a wealth of experience working in policy & leadership roles.https://sparcopen.org/news/2025/carly-robinson-named-sparc-senior-policy-fellow/

Coming up this week! The next webinar in our #OpenAccess 101 series will be Wed., May 14, from 1-2:30 pm (EDT). Librarians whose work intersects with OA or anyone interested in the topic are welcome. Register now for this free session. https://sparcopen.org/event/oa-101-problematizing-predatory-publishing/'

SPARC & @AuthorsAlliance have released a white paper. “The Legal Basis for U.S. Federal Public Access Mandates." It analyzes the legal landscape surrounding the Federal Purpose License & existing public access policies. Find it here: https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/v7rf8_v1

Don't miss the next webinar in our OA 101 series! Just 1 week from today: May 14 at 1 pm (EDT). Designed for librarians whose work intersects with #OpenAccess or may do so in the future. Recordings available afterwards. https://sparcopen.org/event/oa-101-problematizing-predatory-publishing/

Important info to share with your U.S. state legislators who want to help lower the cost of college & improve learning outcomes with #OpenEducationalResources #OER. https://sparcopen.org/our-work/oer-state-policy-playbook/

On May 29, SPARC will host a webcast on "OA, Attribution & Addressing Faculty AI Concerns" discussing the importance of more accurate citation by AI and how this can better align AI with authors’ interests and the public good. SPARC members can register at https://sparcopen.org/event/sparc-webcast-oa-attribution-and-addressing-faculty-ai-concerns/

We have more than a dozen free resources to support libraries leveraging data in negotiations with publishers. Thanks to the Data Analysis Working Group of SPARC's Journal Negotiation Community of Practice for developing these tools to save your campus time & money.
https://sparcopen.org/our-work/negotiation-resources/data-analysis/

We are thrilled to welcome Emily Ford to the SPARC team! https://sparcopen.org/news/2025/emily-ford-joins-sparc-as-director-of-the-open-research-funders-group/