<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Dear members of the DSpace community,</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">If you have IT Directors, Library Directors and other leaders in your organization wanted to understand the benefits of using open source over proprietary solutions, this may be a conference appropriate for them. The conference is being sponsored by service providers who exclusively support open source and organizations who build and use open source. Please pass this on to those in your organization that may have interest.</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">best, Michele Kimpton</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">_____________________________________</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></font></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">Please join an important dialogue. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><br>Innovation in both technology and education has created a range of OPEN initiatives that show promise for higher education. <br><br>Open education. Open publishing. Open textbooks. Open content. Open source software. Open educational resources. Open access to scholarly journals.<br><br>At its core is the premise that institutions openly collaborating and sharing will produce a superior result for students and all constituents. In the current economic environment, the billions of dollars in institutional spending supporting traditional approaches also come into question.</span><div style="margin-left: 30pt; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">How are leaders broadening <b>strategic plans</b> to fully benefit from OPEN in higher education?<br><br>What are the risks, and how can the <b>risks</b> be effectively characterized and mitigated?<br><br>Which OPEN projects show <b>immediate benefit</b> and which hold future promise?<br><br>How does OPEN impact <b>cost containment</b> and spending reduction efforts?<br><br>How can your institution most <b>effectively contribute</b> to and benefit from this important movement?</span></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><br>The OPEN Forum for higher education executives provides exceptional speakers and an opportunity for deep discussion to assist leaders in understanding, navigating and optimizing OPEN. Please join us.</span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">The OPEN Forum<br>for higher education executives<br><span class="object"><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2420"><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT31">December 7</span></span></span> – 9, 2008<br>Palm Springs, California<br></span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; "></span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2421"><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT32"><a href="http://www.theopenforum2008.com/" target="_blank">www.theopenforum2008.com</a></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">For additional information, please contact:<br>Brad Wheeler, <span class="object"><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2424"><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT33"><a href="mailto:bwheeler@iu.edu">bwheeler@iu.edu</a></span></span></span><br></span></div>John King, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT34"><a href="mailto:jlking@umich.edu">jlking@umich.edu</a></span><br>Raul Rodriguez, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT35"><a href="mailto:rrodriguez@deltacollege.edu">rrodriguez@deltacollege.edu</a></span><br><br><br></span></div></body></html>