Activity Report of the SPARC JAPAN Project Team

1. Activity Log

(1) Project Meeting

• June 25, 2003 (Omiya Sonic City)
  • Discussed how to support SPARC/JAPAN and the contents of Japanese version of "Create change".
• August 28, 2003 (University of Tokyo Library)
  • Discussed the contents of Japanese version of "Create change".
• March 11, 2004 (University of Tokyo Library)
  • Summarized the activities of FY2003 and discussed the activity plans for next year.

(2) Discussion with NII, etc.

• 1st SPARC/JAPAN Board meeting (June 25, 2003 at NII)
  • Determined the operational plans and the application guidelines.
• 1st SPARC/JAPAN Steering Committee meeting (August 1, 2003 at NII)
  • Determined the selection guidelines for adopting journals and established the selection team.
• 2nd SPARC/JAPAN Steering Committee meeting (September 11, 2003 at NII)
  • Selected 21 journals of 16 academic societies and associations for adopting.
• 2nd SPARC/JAPAN Board meeting (September 17, 2003 at NII).
  • Determined the adoption of 21 journals of 16 academic society and associations.
• Plenary meeting of working groups (October 8, 2003 at NII)
  • Discussed how to advance in the future and established sectoral working groups.
• 3rd SPARC/JAPAN Steering Committee meeting (March 22, 2004 at NII) and,
  3rd SPARC/JAPAN Board meeting (March 23, 2004 at NII)
  • Reported the activities in FY2003 and proposed FY2004 business plans: inviting partner journals; expansion of packaged electronic journals; extension the market to university libraries and foreign libraries; etc.

(3) Explanatory meeting and seminar

• SPARC/JAPAN Explanatory meeting (July 2, 2003 at Japan Education Center)
  • Hosted by NII. 153 people of 128 organizations attended the meeting. The application guidelines, etc were explained.
• SPARC/JAPAN Explanatory meeting (August 19, 2003 at Tohoku University)
  • Hosted by NII and Tohoku University Library. 52 people attended the meeting. The application guidelines, etc were explained.
• Library Fair & Forum 2003 "SPARC/JAPAN: Revolution of International Scholarly Communication in Japan" (November 5, 2003 at Tokyo International Forum)
  • Hosted by JANUL and JASPUL, and supported by NII.
  • 133 people attended the forum. The signification of SPARC/JAPAN for university libraries and the activities in the university libraries were explained.
• Lecture in the Training Course for university library staffs: "Purpose and outline of SPARC/JAPAN" (Western Japan: November 14, 2003 at Osaka University Library; Eastern Japan: November 21, 2003 at University of Tokyo Library)
• SPARC/JAPAN Promotion Seminar: "Introduction to Project Euclid" (January 23, 2004 at Tohoku University)
  • Hosted by NII under the joint auspices of Mathematical Institute, Tohoku University and Tohoku University Library.
  • The person responsible for Project Euclid at Cornell University Library explained the Project Euclid. 54 people of editors of mathematical journal published by university press and librarians attended the seminar.
• SPARC/JAPAN Seminar: "Future of the Scholarly Information Distribution System around the Academic Journals in the Biological Domain : Goal of UniBio Press" (March 11, 2004 at University of Tokyo)
  • Hosted by NII.
  • The activities of UniBio Press supported by SPARC/JAPAN were reported. People of 35 academic bodies and libraries attended the seminar.

2. Main activities of the Project Team

(1) Making a leaflet for advocacy of SPARC/JAPAN, Japanese version of the "Create Change"

The Project Team made a leaflet written the background, purposes and significance of SPARC in Europe and the United States and SPARC/JAPAN, and the role of ANUL supporting these activities, in order to seek approval of SPARC/JAPAN and collaboration with us to researchers and librarians in universities. There are two kinds of leaflet, one for researchers and the other for librarians. These were sent to universities on October 16, 2003.

(2) Taking a survey of the subscription state of the scholarly journals supported by SPARC/JAPAN and SPARC in Europe and the United States

In the response to a request of NII to survey the subscription state of the partner journals, the Project Team took a survey in cooperation with the Taskforce on Electronic Journals.

(3)Advocacy activities including a forum, explanatory meetings and seminars

The Project Team held a forum, explanatory meetings and seminars under the joint auspices of JASPUL, Tohoku University and so on in cooperation with NII (See the activity log above).

3. Future Schedules

(1) Revision of the Japanese version of "Create Change" and translation of the revised edition of "Create Change"

Revising the Japanese version of "Create Change" taking into account the revised edition of the U.S. version and the progress of SPARC/JAPAN. Also translating the revised edition of the U.S. version into Japanese and opening it to the public.

(2) Publicity activities to researchers

Carrying out the publicity activities and advocacy to researchers in universities to promote their understanding of SPARC/JAPAN. Concretely seeking to publish articles about the introduction of SPARC/JAPAN in library bulletins.

(3) Publicity activities of the packaged electronic journals and promoting their subscription

Carrying out the publicity activities of the packaged electronic journals centering on the partner journals of SPARC/JAPAN and expanding their subscription in university libraries in cooperation with NII.

(4) Survey of the subscription of SPARC journals in Japan

Carrying out a survey of the subscription of SPARC journals in Japanese national university libraries and collecting basic information to cooperate with SPARC and SPARC/Europe.

(5) Advocacy to librarians

Carrying out the advocacy activities to libraries including contributions of articles about SPARC/JAPAN to library journals such as "Daigaku Toshokan Kenkyu" and lectures at seminars, symposia, training meetings, and so on.

(6) Investigation of institutional repository

Investigate institutional repository as one of improving methods of scholarly communications, watching the preceding activities in Japanese universities.

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