All Articles

Celebrate Open Access Week Oct. 23-29

Author: Abbey K. Elder

Celebrate Open Access Week Oct. 23-29, 2023

International Open Access Week will be celebrated Oct. 23-29 and is an opportunity to join, act, and raise awareness around the importance of community control of knowledge-sharing systems. The University Library has a big week planned that includes book displays, events, and articles that highlight Community Over Commercialization, the 2023 theme. This week presents an opportunity and an invitation to engage in upfront conversations about open scholarship approaches and the interests they represent.

Open Access Week in Parks Library

Nosferatu Book Display
Nosferatu—and the vampire in general—has captured human imagination for decades. See how their stories have evolved as they entered the public domain and were reimagined by authors.

Dungeons, Dragons, and Copyright
The Dungeons & Dragons brand has dealt with a few copyright and trademark concerns over the years. Learn more and play along in this interactive display in the Learning Connections Center.

Open Access Week events  

ISU Repair Café  
4-8 p.m., Tues, Oct 24, in Room 198 Parks Library

Volunteers will help repair broken items to give them a longer life cycle. If our volunteers are unable to repair your item, or parts are required, they can help you find a local repair shop. (If you have replacement parts, bring them with you.)

Bikes and skateboards will be worked on under the overhang outside Parks Library. Clothing, soft goods, jewelry and accessories, and small electronics will be looked at in Room 198. The Repair Café aims to reduce waste, share tools and resources, teach basic maintenance, and help build self-reliance skills in our community. There is no charge for any repairs made.   

Questions? Want to volunteer? E-mail AmesRepairCafe@gmail.com. Or sign up directly.

Thank you to partners Ames Repair Café, Department of Industrial Design, ISU Office of Sustainability

Open-Source Share-a-thon
You mean I don’t have to pay for Photoshop anymore?  
Noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 25, in The Catalyst – Parks Library Room 199  

Have you learned how to use a cool software tool in a class, but you won’t be able to afford to pay for it once you graduate? At this event we will discuss the open-source software movement and what it means for you. Learn about free, open-source alternatives to some of the most widely used proprietary software for image creation/manipulation, audio, and video editing, geographical information systems, statistical analysis, and more. Attendees will have time to pick an open-source software package of their choice to experiment with. Snacks will be provided. 

Monsters@the M-Shop: "Nosferatu” 
6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 27, in M-Shop at the Memorial Union

Join us for a night of horror (and some hilarity) as we celebrate the Halloween season (and International Open Access Week) with “Nosferatu,” one of the most iconic scary movies ever made. In addition to the classic Symphony of Horror, we will take a look at a “blooper reel” of community-created adaptations and re-imaginings of “Nosferatu” made possible by its status in the public domain, meaning the right to reuse, share, and adapt the film – typically restricted through copyright – belong to all of us. Who is the real monster? The vampire, or the film studio?

Free popcorn and soda, cash bar.