Scholarly Communications Programs at ALA MidWinter

["John D'Ignazio" <john@arl.org>]

Scholarly Communications Programs at the 2005 ALA Midwinter -- Boston,
Mass.: the SPARC/ACRL Forum and the ACRL Scholarly Communications
Discussion Group:

SPARC/ACRL Forum: "In the Public Interest: Open Access and Public Policy"
Saturday, January 15, 2005, 4:00-5:30 pm
Constitution Ballroom, Sheraton Boston Hotel

The imperative for taxpayer access to scientific research will be
discussed in a panel session on the breakthrough National Institutes of
Health (NIH) plan to provide open public access to peer-reviewed articles
on NIH-funded research.

A panel of three speakers brings the perspectives of those in labs,
libraries, and homes. They will examine the economic, social, and
scientific motivations that led NIH to propose toll-free access to results
of federally funded biomedical research via the National Library of
Medicine's online resource, PubMed Central (PMC).

Moderated by Columbia University Librarian James Neal, the panel will
include:

    - Jane Griffith, Assistant Director for Policy and Legislative
Development, National Library of Medicine: Ms. Griffith will outline NIH's
objectives in developing their enhanced public access plan and describe
how the agency has taken account of the various stakeholder concerns.

    - Gary Ward, Associate Professor of Microbiology & Molecular
Genetics, University of Vermont: Dr. Ward will address the benefits to
scientists and scientific advancement of more open sharing of research
literature.

    - Sharon Terry, President and CEO, Genetic Alliance: Ms. Terry, a
leading voice in the Alliance for Taxpayer Access, will describe how the
current system fails patients and offer thoughts on the promise of the NIH
plan.

And

ACRL Scholarly Communications Discussion Group: "In the Public 
Interest: The Conversation Continues" with speakers from the SPARC/ACRL 
Forum
Sunday, January 16, 2005, 2:00-4:00 pm
Hynes Convention Center Rm. 204

These events are open to the public and no reservations are necessary.

..................
John D'Ignazio, Communication Specialist, SPARC
21 Dupont Circle, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
john@arl.org