SPARC-ACRL: changing state of OA journal publishing

[Jennifer McLennan <jennifer@arl.org>]

For immediate release
November 22, 2010

For more information, contact:

Jennifer McLennan
SPARC
(202) 296-2296 ext. 121
jennifer [at] arl [dot] org

Kara Malenfant
ACRL
(312) 280-2510
kmalenfant [at] ala [dot] org

Next SPARC-ACRL forum to examine changing state
of open-access journal publishing

Washington, DC and Chicago, IL - At the upcoming meeting of the 
American Library Association (ALA) in San Diego, CA, SPARC and 
ACRL will co-host a timely panel discussion on "Marketplace: Open 
Access and the changing state of scholarly publishing." The forum 
will be held Saturday, January 8, 2011 from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM at 
the San Diego Convention Center, Room 29A.

As awareness of the potential of Open Access - the free, 
immediate availability of scholarly articles on the public 
Internet, coupled with the rights needed to use them fully in the 
digital environment - has spread, there have been significant 
changes in the journal publishing options open to scholars. 
Widespread experimentation with business models has resulted in 
open-access journals supported by mechanisms ranging from article 
processing fees to institutional membership to sponsorships. Even 
the largest commercial journal publishers - like Springer - are 
jumping in with both feet, providing new opportunities for 
scholars in all disciplines.

And it's not just the financial aspects of the journal that are 
evolving. While many of the early open-access journals 
essentially replicated traditional publications - albeit with 
very different access parameters - new types of venues are 
emerging, providing a multitude of choices for scholars in terms 
of journal structure and peer review models.  The Public Library 
of Science, for example, now operates "currents," "hubs," and 
PLoS One in addition to its flagship journals, showcasing a rich 
array of new services and features for authors to consider when 
selecting a publishing outlet.

This forum will paint a picture of the rapidly changing - and 
maturing - open-access publishing sphere, and illustrate the 
growing range of options and approaches that are emerging, and 
help the library community to make sense of what it all means for 
you and your campus.Presenters will be announced.

The forum will be held Saturday, January 8, 2011 from 4:00 PM to 
5:30 PM at the San Diego Convention Center, Room 29A. The ACRL 
Scholarly Communications discussion group, which offers a more 
intimate setting to explore topics in greater depth, will be held 
Sunday, January 9, from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM at the San Diego 
Convention Center, Room 31B.

Separate registration for this event is not required. For further 
details on the forum, visit http://www.arl.org/sparc/forum.

##

SPARC

SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition), 
with SPARC Europe and SPARC Japan, is an international alliance 
of more than 800 academic and research libraries working to 
create a more open system of scholarly communication. SPARC's 
advocacy, educational and publisher partnership programs 
encourage expanded dissemination of research. SPARC is on the Web 
at http://www.arl.org/sparc.

ACRL

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a 
division of the American Library Association (ALA), represents 
nearly 13,000 academic and research librarians and interested 
individuals. It is the only individual membership organization in 
North America that develops programs, products and services to 
meet the unique needs of academic and research librarians. Its 
initiatives enable the higher education community to understand 
the role that academic libraries play in the teaching, learning 
and research environments. ACRL is on the Web at 
http://www.acrl.org.

-------------------------------------
Jennifer McLennan
Director of Programs & Operations
SPARC