HomepageLibrary and Information TechnologyInternational Open Access Week 2022 Calls for Action

International Open Access Week 2022 Calls for Action

Each year, International Open Access Week is organized by the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) in partnership with the Open Access Week Advisory Committee to raise awareness and encourage events to promote the OA movement.  LIT will host a free lunch this week and launch two surveys to discuss and gather information about OA and OER practices on campus.

Library & Information Technology and the Affordable Learning Working Group at Ursinus are recognizing International Open Access Week by hosting a free lunch on Thursday, October 27th (RSVP here!) to have a conversation about what we’re doing locally to support Open Access and Open Educational Resources. We’ll also be launching two surveys to gather information from students, faculty and staff to learn more about what people are already doing related to OA and OER and to better understand the needs of the campus community. Please fill them out and encourage your colleagues and students to do so too!

On a global scale, check out the list of events happening around the world (many of which can be joined for free, remotely) at openaccessweek.org.  This year’s theme focuses on climate justice and, per the website, “seeks to encourage connection and collaboration among the climate movement and the international open community. Sharing knowledge is a human right and tackling the climate crisis requires the rapid exchange of knowledge across geographic, economic, and disciplinary boundaries.”

We also encourage you to read the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) updated statement on open access (originally written in 2011). In part, the statement declares:

“Full and immediate free access to research outputs and publications ensures that everyone – including researchers, policy makers, citizens, scientists, and the public – has the data, evidence, and knowledge they need to address societal, environmental, and global challenges. Open access (OA) moves research towards the goal of full access by removing paywalls and broadening global access across disciplines. OA seeks to make research globally available and discoverable for the long-term and not only in times of crisis…

…OA is much more effective when principles of inclusivity and equality including respect for indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing, regional participation, and multilingualism are adopted. OA is underpinned by policies and infrastructure respecting the FAIR Principles to ensure that research is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable…

…Some 20+ years into the OA movement, urgent action and not words is needed. The COVID-19 pandemic and other health, economic, and social crises have shown both the critical need for OA in all disciplines of research, and the barriers that still prevent it becoming a reality.”

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Contact

Andy Prock
Scholarly Communications & Metadata Librarian
Myrin Library
Ursinus College
aprock@ursinus.edu

Related Topics

Diversity and Inclusion
Research

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