2017 Charleston Library Conference

In this session, presenters will share insights from a recent research project undertaken to better understand the evolving role of libraries in supporting affordable and open educational resources. Highlights from a 2017 survey of 230 academic librarians will be shared along with the main themes that emerged from the data. A panel discussion will follow in which three academic librarians working with open and/or alternative educational resources will share their experiences. The moderated question set will relate to how these themes are serving as a catalyst for moving the library forward from a place of advocacy to one of action. Panelists will share the ways in which they leverage library resources and budget to support affordability initiatives, how they are creating effective learning experiences by design, and how they are developing copyright and licensing expertise.

Attendees will come away from this session with greater perspective on the actions their peers think are most important to undertake now and in the future with regard to OERs, how librarians rate their current performance on those objectives, and which activities are deemed to be the most challenging. From the panelist discussion, attendees will hear specific examples of how those trends are playing out on certain campuses, identify the largest obstacles that must be overcome, and gain insight into what the future holds for libraries working with alternative or open course materials.