SPARC-ACRL Forum to explore progress of open access journal publishing models

[Jennifer McLennan <jennifer@arl.org>]

For Immediate Release
May 7, 2007

For more information, contact:
Jennifer McLennan
SPARC
jennifer@arl.org
(202) 296-2296 x121

Kara Malenfant
ACRL
kmalenfant@ala.org
(312) 280-2510

SPARC-ACRL FORUM TO EXPLORE PROGRESS OF OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL 
PUBLISHING MODELS

/Popular ALA event will introduce leading open access publishing 
innovators and a conversation about successes and challenges to 
date /

Washington, DC and Chicago, IL -- May 7, 2007 -- SPARC (the Scholarly
Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) and ACRL (the Association
of College and Research Libraries) today announced that the topic of the
upcoming SPARC-ACRL Forum on emerging issues in scholarly communication,
to be held during the ALA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, will be
"Course check: A conversation with three open access publishers about
the challenges of sustainability."

System-wide innovations that increase access to the results of 
research and scholarship are a key interest for the library 
community. Library support for these innovations, which ranges 
from being deeply engaged to dedicating scarce resources, is 
built upon the principle of open access -- on evidence that open 
access accelerates the production, dissemination, and benefits of 
new knowledge, and on an understanding of the paths and business 
models that can deliver it. It is with this last point in mind 
that three of the most important and innovative leaders in 
scholarly publishing have been asked to speak at the next 
SPARC-ACRL Forum.

Speakers will include:

- Mark Patterson, Director of Publishing, Public Library of 
Science

- Paul Peters, Head of Business Development, Hindawi Publishing 
Corporation

- Bryan Vickery, Deputy Publisher, BioMed Central and Editorial 
Director, Chemistry Central

The session will be introduced and moderated by Alma Swan, 
Director, Key Perspectives Ltd.

This forum will form part of an ongoing conversation, a 
discussion about successes and challenges in business models for 
publishers that provide open access, and the partnerships and 
resources that have or will lead to success. Speakers will pay 
particular attention to:

- What they have learned about the challenges in creating a 
business model that delivers open access and the major 
adjustments they have had to make.

- The role of print publishing in their open access efforts.

- The point at which their projects may or have become 
economically self-sustaining and the pertinent milestones along 
the way.

- The role and support of libraries in their future, including 
memberships, subscriptions to value-added services, alternative 
forms of library "acquisition" of their content, and other forms 
of support.

- The responses from the research community to their new 
publishing models.

- Their perceptions of the influence of open access journals on 
dynamics, interactions and roles and responsibilities between 
publishers, librarians and researchers.

Please join us for this important conversation. The SPARC-ACRL 
Forum will be held:

Saturday, June 23, 2007
4:00 - 5:30PM
Georgetown Room, Hilton Washington (1919 Connecticut Avenue NW)
Registration is NOT required
(The event will be also available via SPARC Podcast at a later date).

The forum is followed by the ACRL Scholarly Communication Discussion
Group, where there will be an open discussion of key issues that surface
at the Forum. The Discussion Group will be held Sunday, June 24, from
4:00 - 5:30PM -- also in the Hilton Washington, State Room.

For more information, visit the SPARC Web site at
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

ACRL is a division of the American Library Association (ALA), 
representing more than 13,000 academic and research librarians 
and interested individuals. ACRL 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.


-- 
Jennifer McLennan
Director of Communications
SPARC
(202) 296-2296 ext. 121
(202) 872-0884 Fax
http://www.arl.org/sparc