The New York State Higher Education Initiative (NYSHEI) is calling for your help in conveying the importance of open access to New York representatives in Albany. The NYSHEI-drafted bill, TAPFR – Taxpayer Access to Publicly Funded Research (A.180/S.4050), will be presented to the state legislature shortly.
NYSHEI’s TAPFR Policy Paper describes the goals of this bill:
- each researcher funded totally or partially by New York State taxes submit an electronic copy of a manuscript that has been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal;
- that the manuscript is preserved digitally in a repository that provides free public access and long-term preservation; and,
- free, online access is publicly available no later than six months after publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
NYSHEI is asking that anyone who has an interest in open access write to their representatives. They are also providing a sample TAPFR Letter of Support that you could use as a spring board for your own letter.
New York, by becoming the first among states to adopt an open access policy, would give its research and researchers an advantage over colleagues in other states. Making discovered knowledge more available leads to greater influence as the work is more available for citations. Additionally students, faculty, and the academic institutions themselves will benefit through lower costs and more access to peer-reviewed scholarship.
Please help NYSHEI and New York and show your support for openness and public access to publicly-funded work!
This notice about the urgency of expressing our interest in TAPFR was forwarded to the CUNY libraries listserv today — please do take action if you’re so inclined!
ADVOCACY ALERT:
April 22, 2013
Fight for Open Access
Led by the lobbyists for Elsevier, the publishing industry has changed tactics. They are launching a vigorous campaign to stop Taxpayer Access to Publicly Funded Research (TAPFR). Their goal is to prevent the open access movement from spreading at the state level. Since New York is leading the effort for state-based open access, the publishers are determined to stop us here and now.
You can help.
I need to demonstrate to legislators that open access is widely supported and that it has the support of people and institutions in their districts.
Please write a letter of support. Please encourage your peers, contacts, and professional groups to write a letter of support.
Information and sample language is available. Send your letters to me and I will hand deliver them to the appropriate policy makers, and bundle them for the legislative leaders.
The fate of TAPFR and open access in New York may be decided within the next two weeks. Do not delay. I need your voice today. If you ever wanted to strike a blow for open access (or against the publishers) now is your chance.
Thank you.
Jason Kramer
Executive Director
NYS Higher Education Initiative
518-433-4814