Greetings Digital Stewardship Colleagues,

The deadline for submitting your SPN Participation Agreement prior to the
launch of SPN’s 2-year, seed-funded cultivation period is *this Friday,
December 14, 2018* close of business. Through the financial support of your
organization, SPN will continue “Saving Software Together.”

*UNPACKING THE 1201 EXEMPTION FOR SOFTWARE PRESERVATION - NEW GUIDE:* As
many of you know, SPN received an exemption to Section 1201 from the US
Copyright Office for software preservation by libraries, archives, and
museums. In collaboration with the Harvard Cyberlaw Clinic (Kee Young Lee
and Kendra Albert <https://cyber.harvard.edu/people/kalbert>), we’ve
produced A Preservationist’s Guide to the DMCA Exemption for Software
Preservation
<http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/1201-exemption-guide-for-software-preservationists>,
which contains both a basic checklist as well as a more in-depth explainer
of what the exemption covers and when it can be used. We also provide a
link to a Community Feedback Form to begin documenting practices that will
help us to renew and possibly expand the exemption in 3 years.


*WINTER SOFTWARE CURATION/PRESERVATION COMMUNITY FORUM:* Tomorrow, Tuesday,
Dec 11 is the Winter Software Curation/Preservation Community Forum. These
community forums bring together colleagues across professional and
disciplinary communities to participate in an hour-long discussion on
topics related to software curation, preservation, and reuse. Join the SPN
Listserv
<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/software-preservation-network> to
receive calendar invites and call-in instructions for the quarterly
community forums.

*WHO IS SPN?*
Since 2015, the Software Preservation Network (SPN) has worked to create a
space where organizations from industry, academia, government, cultural
heritage, and the public sphere can contribute their skills and
capabilities toward collaborative solutions that will ensure persistent
access to all software and all software-dependent objects. A dedicated and
growing community of practice has formed around SPN as a platform to align
project-based and programmatic efforts in software preservation.

Warm appreciation to all of the organizations that have invested in SPN's
future by becoming members - we look forward to working with you in 2019!

Sustaining Members
Computer History Museum
Cornell University
Duke University
Georgia Tech
Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Living Computer Museums + Labs
Penn State University
Stanford University
Texas Tech University
University of North Carolina – Greensboro
University of Texas at Austin
University of Virginia
Yale University

Supporting Members
New York University
University of Arizona

*WHY SUPPORT SPN?*
To date, the resources we offer have been built through grant funding and
the volunteer efforts of staff from dozens of organizations. Examples of
those resources include a bi-monthly newsletter
<https://mailchi.mp/38c7133cf342/stacktrace-news-from-software-preservation-network-september-october-2018>
on all things software preservation, U.S. Copyright Office 1201 exemption
to preserve software
<https://clinic.cyber.harvard.edu/2018/10/26/a-victory-for-software-preservation-dmca-exemption-granted-for-spn/>,
software preservation webinar series
<http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/events/>, and a software
preservation research scan
<https://connect.clir.org/blogs/wendy-hagenmaier/2017/08/10/help-spn> (stay
tuned for service provider survey and research toolkit in 2019). Our
affiliated projects include Fostering a Community of Practice: Software
Preservation and Emulation Experts in Libraries and Archives (FCoP
<http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/fcop/>), Scaling Emulation and
Software Preservation Infrastructure (EaaSI
<http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/eaasi/>), and Code of Best
Practices in Fair Use for Software Preservation
<http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/bp-fair-use/>.

*If you value the work we have completed to date, and if you would like to
see SPN continue to build our collective capacity for software preservation
through research, advocacy, and educational programming, then please
consider supporting us for the next two years.  *

*HOW TO SUPPORT SPN?*
We are requesting financial support for a two-year start-up period to scale
SPN's services and operations. Review the SPN Prospectus (attached) for
more detail on our activities and our plans for the proposed two year
ramp-up period.

SPN recognizes that 1) it takes time to receive internal approval and
signatures and the holidays complicate that timeline a bit and 2) invoicing
needs and fiscal year planning cycles vary among institutions so we can
work with each institution to accommodate their invoicing needs. If your
organization can commit to signing on for two year ramp-up period (2019 -
2021) before December 14th, we can work with you regarding the
administrative hurdles of invoicing after the fact. We would, however,
include your organization’s name in the list of signatories/participating
members in weekly reminders to listservs about joining SPN (between now and
Dec 14).

To support SPN, please complete the attached Participation Agreement and
send to Jessica Meyerson <[log in to unmask]>, CC Caitlin Perry <
[log in to unmask]>. All questions (regarding invoicing schedules,
countersigned copies of the agreement, and more) can also be sent to
Jessica Meyerson.

Thank you all - enjoy an inspired start to your week.

Kind Regards,
Jessica Meyerson (on behalf of the Software Preservation Network)

-- 
*Jessica Meyerson*
Research Program Officer
Educopia Institute
http://educopia.org

Working from Austin, TX
[log in to unmask] | 512-864-4575