Attention #OpenEd Community: This year's #OpenEducation conference will be virtual October 27-29, 2026. #OpenEd26 openeducationconference.org/news/2025/sa...

If you've walked away from a so-called "big deal," let us know. We keep a record of institutions that have canceled contracts with publishers, along with strategic considerations, outcomes & money saved. Click for a list & resources. sparcopen.org/our-work/big...

The investment of education $$ in open textbooks is making an impact! We just posted a story on the work of #OpenEducation leaders Robert Awkward, Marilyn Billings, Ben Atchi​son, Susan Tashjian & others in Mass. to help faculty produce #OER books in high-demand fields. sparcopen.org/impact-story...

Save the Date: International #OpenAccess Week will be October 19-25, 2026. #OAWeek is an opportunity to join together, take action & raise awareness of the benefits of openly sharing knowledge. www.openaccessweek.org

We have 3 must-read papers & valuable resources created w/ @authorsalliance.bsky.social on 1) #OpenAccess & U.S. Federal Information Policy; 2) The Legal Basis for Federal #PublicAccess Mandates; 3) Federal Grants & Institutional IP policies. Download now: www.authorsalliance.org/legal-pathwa...

Coming up today, Feb 2 at Noon ET: US Repository Network community conversation on how institutional & data repositories are preparing digital content to meet ADA accessibility requirements. Register now: sparcopen-org.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Reminder today Feb. 2 at 3pm ET we are hosting a webcast w/ the @authorsalliance.bsky.social on the NSF publication & data sharing policies in its new Proposal and Award Policies & Procedures Guide. Register: sparcopen-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

When organizations adopt #OpenScience policies, it can accelerate the pace of discovery, build public trust & lead to breakthroughs. See how the @americanheart.bsky.social is embracing FAIR principles & training its grantees to share research outcomes: sparcopen.org/news/2025/am...

Join us on Feb. 2 at 3pm ET for a webcast w/ the @authorsalliance.bsky.social. We'll provide an overview of the NSF publication & data sharing policies in the Proposal and Award Policies & Procedures Guide released Jan. 22. Get a policy overview + time for Q&A. sparcopen-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Reminder: the US Repository Network community conversation has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb 2 @ 12pm ET. An expert panel will discuss how institutional & data repositories are preparing digital content to meet ADA accessibility requirements. Register now: sparcopen-org.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Colorado is an #OpenEducation leader! With a track record of saving students $$$ millions, the state is considering funding the #OER program for 5 more years. Bill summary here: leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB26-1.... More on the state's #OpenEd success in SPARC impact story: sparcopen.org/impact-story...

If you're looking to learn the basics of #OpenAccess or want a refresher, check out recordings & slides from our 4-part OA101 series. Created w/ the Scholarly Communication Notebook team, it includes case studies, emerging issues & answers to FAQs from faculty. sparcopen.org/our-work/ope...

Due to the severe weather conditions affecting much of the East Coast, we are postponing today’s scheduled USRN Community Call. Our priority is everyone’s safety & ability to participate fully. We hope to reschedule for Mon., Feb. 2 @ 12pm ET. Stay tuned for more info!

Learn how to advocate for change with state policy recommendations in our #OER Policy Playbook. Working together to advance #OpenEd #OpenEducation! sparcopen.org/our-work/oer...

In case you missed it, @orfg.bsky.social weighed in on the request from the National Institutes of Health for Information on Maximizing Research Funds by Limiting Allowable Publishing Costs. Click for details: www.orfg.org/news/2025/12...

All are welcome to join the free US Repository Network community conversation on Mon, Jan. 26 @ 12pm ET. An expert panel will discuss how institutional & data repositories are preparing digital content to meet ADA accessibility requirements. Register now: sparcopen-org.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Discover what's happening on campuses with automatic textbook billing (inclusive access). SPARC has collected 250 contracts from 122 institutions in 38 states. Read the fine print in our Textbook Billing Contract Library here: sparcopen.org/our-work/aut... www.inclusiveaccess.org

Making sure researchers have access to the research they need is a critical function of the library - and that doesn’t change after renegotiating a big deal. We have tips & examples on how to provide alternative access & save your campus $$$. sparcopen.org/our-work/neg...

Open Educational Resources has increasingly become a go-to strategy for legislators seeking to make college education more affordable. Follow the latest in #OpenEducation legislation with our #OER State Policy Tracker sparcopen.org/our-work/sta...

We've updated our publication & data sharing policy resources with new analysis for Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration for Community Living (ACL), Census Bureau, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), USGS & NSF. Click here for more: researchsharing.sparcopen.org

Join us Jan. 14 @ at 2pm ET for a webcast on public access & publisher policies. A panel of SPARC members (Danielle Steinhart, Penn State; Jen Beamer, CSUSB; Josh Bolick, KU; & Katie Funk, Wash U) will share their experiences supporting authors. Register here: sparcopen-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

✨ 2025 in Review: Advancing Open Research Information as a Community In 2025, the Declaration continued to grow as a community-driven initiative, advancing concrete work to improve the openness, transparency, and community governance of research information; with more to come in 2026 🔽

If you missed our recent webcasts, no worries. We have recordings archived for viewing at your convenience. Look up our programs on privacy & digital learning materials, persistent identifiers #PIDs, navigating #publicaccess funder mandates, the basics of #OER, #OpenAccess & more here:

Read the latest white paper in the Legal Pathways to #OpenAccess project on federal grants & IP policies - a collaboration w/ SPARC & @authorsalliance.bsky.social Alliance. sparcopen.org/news/2025/au...

Scientific findings will be shared with the public sooner in 2026, thanks to funders including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute @hhmi-science.bsky.social. HHMI's Immediate Access to Research Policy went into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Details here: hhmicdn.blob.core.windows.net/policies/Imm...

Have questions about new requirements for authors in response to the 2022 OSTP Nelson memo? We have answers! Check out our free guide to navigate policies and fees before making the decision about where to publish. sparcopen.org/our-work/gui...

Thanks to our 250 member libraries & academic organizations across North America - & our affiliated SPARC coalitions around the world. Together, we are driving policy change & advancing knowledge as a public good. #OpenAccess #OpenScience #OpenData #OER #OpenScholarship sparcopen.org/2025-outcomes/

Hats off to the some of the team behind #OpenEd25: Hailey Babb, Christina Riehman-Murphy, Ash Barber, Nicholas Swails, Rosario Rogel-Salazar, Nicole Allen, Pranjal Saloni, Amanda Larson, Aishah Abdullah, Gabby Hernandez & Annika Many. Go to openeducationconference.org for more on #OpenEd26!

If your library is considering ending a big deal, we have resources to help. See how others have handled communications, alternative access & saved $$$. See our profiles of Bucknell, East Carolina, FL State, Iowa State, UConn, UVM, Université de Montréal & MIT: sparcopen.org/our-work/big...

ICYMI: Our 3rd paper with authorsalliance.bsky.social in the joint Legal Pathways to #OpenAccess project is out. sparcopen.org/news/2025/au...

Prior to applying for federal funding, it's helpful to understand the expectations around depositing manuscripts into agency designated repositories. Details on that & more in our new resource to help authors navigate #publicaccess requirements & publisher policies: sparcopen.org/our-work/gui...

Fascinating read about 20+ years of work leading up to the 2022 OSTP Nelson memo, ensuring taxpayer-funded research is immediately available to the public to freely access & fully use. Includes mention of SPARC's advocacy in #PublicAccess #OpenAccess #OpenScience. academic.oup.com/spp/advance-...

Colorado is a leader in supporting #OER! We highlighted the state's impressive #OpenEducation landscape in our impact story: sparcopen.org/impact-story.... More funding was just announced to expand #OpenEd, making #highered more affordable & accessible: governorsoffice.colorado.gov/governor/new...

Greetings from the SPARC Steering Committee & SPARC team, together IRL for our annual meeting! We extended a warm welcome to those new to the committee & a fond farewell to our departing members. We are so thankful for their guidance, expertise & time. sparcopen.org/people/#steer

It was our honor & pleasure to end 2025 together w/ SPARC members in DC today. The support you’ve shown to one another & our team has sustained us in this challenging year. We've all come out stronger & are committed to continuing our work to advance open practices & be catalysts for change in 2026!

We look forward to seeing representatives from our SPARC libraries in DC & online for our members-only meeting & reception today, Dec. 10, from 5-7 p.m. Catch up on the latest from the SPARC team. To RSVP, check your email from us & respond. sparcopen.org

If you've missed any of our webinars, we have several archived for viewing at your convenience! Learn about basics of #OpenAccess & #OpenEd, #PIDs, #publicaccess funder mandates, #copyright and more here: sparcopen.org/our-work/web...

You're invited to weigh in by Dec. 26 on policies to strengthen the U.S. scientific enterprise. The OSTP RFI asks for input on topics related to public access, open data, and ensuring federally-funded research discoveries benefit Americans: www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

Some good news: IMLS is restoring all federal grants that had been terminated earlier this year. A win for libraries and library organizations across the U.S. www.imls.gov/news/stateme...

While inclusive access programs are advertised as a solution, they make it harder for students to make personal choices & fall short on making course materials affordable long-term. Explore the fine print in our contract library: sparcopen.org/our-work/aut.... www.inclusiveaccess.org/facts/conven...

Tune in tomorrow, Dec. 4, at 1pm ET to hear SPARC's @hjoseph.bsky.social chat w/ author Samuel Moore about Publishing Beyond the Market, a book about a more ethical, non-commercial approach to #OpenAccess publishing. Sign up for the free @archive.org event here: www.eventbrite.com/e/book-talk-...

We're pleased to work with @authorsalliance.bsky.social on publication of this new white paper in the joint Legal Pathways to #OpenAccess project. sparcopen.org/news/2025/au...

Coming up today, Dec. 2, from 2-3 p.m. Eastern: "Paying Twice to Learn: Digital Textbooks, Courseware, and Student Data Privacy." It's not too late to register. sparcopen-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

SPARC members are invited to gather in DC or online for our members-only meeting on Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. in conjunction with CNI. Hear from the SPARC team on the current landscape & progress on our priority program areas. Reception to follow. Complete to request the RSVP link: sparcopen.org/contact/

Check out our recap of #OpenEd25! Takeaways from students, researchers, professors & administrators on what inspired them connecting w/ the #OpenEducation community last month in Denver. Save the date for virtual #OpenEd26 Oct 27-29, 2026. sparcopen.org/news/2025/op...

Congratulations to the newly elected members of the SPARC Steering Committee: Teresa Lee (York University Libraries, Canada); Josh Bolick (U of Kansas); Holly Mercer, (U of Maryland); Yasmeen Shorish (James Madison U); Camille Thomas (Florida State U). Thanks to all who voted! sparcopen.org

Just what does #OpenAccess #OER #OpenScience look like in practice? More students succeeding in college, increased training opportunities for in-demand jobs, improved knowledge exchange for researchers solving the world's pressing programs & more. Download & share! sparcopen.org/impact-stori...