Libraries and OER

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the use of Open Electronic Resources (OER) as a supplement or replacement for textbooks or entire courses in higher education teaching and learning.

This paper is a literature review and commentary on this topic that has been addressed by professionals, researchers and practitioners.

Librarians are in a unique position to offer support for faculty seeking to incorporate OER into their courses. In an overall effort to serve as an important option to the mounting costs of education, librarians can offer up their knowledge, skill and training in the development and evaluation of OER.

The value in exploring this topic is to examine the library’s use of OER and their benefits and challenges in a higher education classroom environment.