Scholarly Communication: Advocacy

"The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, is an international alliance of academic and research libraries working to correct imbalances in the scholarly publishing system. Developed by the Association of Research Libraries, SPARC has become a catalyst for change. Its pragmatic focus is to stimulate the emergence of new scholarly communication models that expand the dissemination of scholarly research and reduce financial pressures on libraries."

"LPC is a library led, two-year initiative to advance the field of library publishing.

Based on core library values, our mission is to foster collaboration, share knowledge and develop common practices, all in service of publishing and distributing academic and scholarly works. Our goal is to explore how to better serve the scholarly communication needs of the academic community, through sustainable, innovative library publishing solutions aligned with institutional missions."

"The Right to Research Coalition was founded by students in the summer of 2009 to promote an open scholarly publishing system based on the belief that no student should be denied access to the articles they need because their institution cannot afford the often high cost of access.  Since its launch, the Coalition has grown to represent nearly 7 million students internationally and counts among its members the largest student organizations in both the United States and Canada."  

From "About Our Coalition"

Principles of the Alliance:

• American taxpayers are entitled to open access on the Internet to the peer-reviewed scientific articles on research funded by the U.S. Government.
• Widespread access to the information contained in these articles is an essential, inseparable component of our nation's investment in science.
• This and other scientific information should be shared in cost-effective ways that take advantage of the Internet, stimulate further discovery and innovation, and advance the translation of this knowledge into public benefits.
• Enhanced access to and expanded sharing of information will lead to usage by millions of scientists, professionals, and individuals, and will deliver an accelerated return on the taxpayers' investment.

From "About the Alliance"