This week marks Open Access Week 2019 with the theme “Open for Whom? Equity in Open Knowledge.” According to the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), open access is the “free, immediate, online availability of research articles coupled with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment. Open access ensures that anyone can access and use these results – to turn ideas into industries and breakthroughs into better lives.”

Open Access Week 2019

University of Houston Libraries will host three events, and will introduce a new campus-wide open access service, to promote open access and to highlight University initiatives related to open access.

New Service

The new service from UH Libraries, the Assisted Institutional Repository Submissions Service, is an initiative to help faculty get more of their peer-reviewed journal publications, book chapters, and conference proceedings publicly available through Cougar ROAR. UH Libraries will process any UH faculty member’s CV or list of peer-reviewed publications for permission clearance and deposit all eligible works into the UH Institutional Repository. For more information, contact Taylor Davis-Van Atta.

Events

October 18: Open Educational Resources Discussion Group
University of Houston faculty are invited to join this informal gathering to meet and learn from others who are interested in open educational resources (OER). Brown bag lunch; snacks will be provided.

12 noon – 1 p.m., MD Anderson Library Training Room 10-G
Register here (walk-ins welcome)

October 23: Open Educational Resources
Do you want to reduce the cost of textbooks for your students? Do you want more flexibility with your course materials than is possible with a traditional textbook? Drop by the Faculty Cafe to learn about OER, freely available learning materials which can be legally used, shared, and adapted. In this session, we will address common questions about OER and provide information on how to apply for the UH Alternative Textbook Incentive Program. This event is in partnership with Faculty Engagement and Development and the CLASS Office of Educational Technology.

10 – 11 a.m., Faculty Café
Register here (walk-ins welcome)

October 24: Open Educational Resources
Do you want to reduce the cost of textbooks for your students? Do you want more flexibility with your course materials than is possible with a traditional textbook? Drop by the Faculty Cafe to learn about OER, freely available learning materials which can be legally used, shared, and adapted. In this session, we will address common questions about OER and provide information on how to apply for the UH Alternative Textbook Incentive Program. This event is in partnership with Faculty Engagement and Development and the CLASS Office of Educational Technology.

10 – 11 a.m., Faculty Café
Register here (walk-ins welcome)