The Future Is Collaborative: Reciprocal Promotion with OER and Special Collections
Program Type
Event
Start Date and Time
11-5-2026 8:00 AM
Program Description
At a time when academic libraries are shifting their focus from the material to the digital, special collections face a unique set of challenges. Namely, how does a unique physical collection demonstrate its value at significant scale in a digital world? Open educational resources (OER), on the other hand, have a much easier time scaling and demonstrating value, but building actionable interest is not always easy. Embracing a future-facing collaborative approach, one Ohio university library is launching an initiative to address these complex challenges by dismantling the silos between these vastly different areas. This lightning talk will describe how a new zero textbook cost grant program is providing a path to creating OER for courses through the digitization of public domain special collections, and, in doing so, driving engagement and building value on all sides. While the focus will be on collaboration with special collections, this provides a general framework for thinking about creative collaborations and problem solving with OER. Learning outcomes: Following the session, participants will be able to —Identify opportunities for OER collaboration and —Persuade potential collaborators of the benefits of engaging with OER.
The Future Is Collaborative: Reciprocal Promotion with OER and Special Collections
At a time when academic libraries are shifting their focus from the material to the digital, special collections face a unique set of challenges. Namely, how does a unique physical collection demonstrate its value at significant scale in a digital world? Open educational resources (OER), on the other hand, have a much easier time scaling and demonstrating value, but building actionable interest is not always easy. Embracing a future-facing collaborative approach, one Ohio university library is launching an initiative to address these complex challenges by dismantling the silos between these vastly different areas. This lightning talk will describe how a new zero textbook cost grant program is providing a path to creating OER for courses through the digitization of public domain special collections, and, in doing so, driving engagement and building value on all sides. While the focus will be on collaboration with special collections, this provides a general framework for thinking about creative collaborations and problem solving with OER. Learning outcomes: Following the session, participants will be able to —Identify opportunities for OER collaboration and —Persuade potential collaborators of the benefits of engaging with OER.
