Ohio OpenCon Pre-Conference — Thursday, May 14, 2026 (In-Person)!!

Cleveland State University, Law Building | FREE | LIMITED SEATING

We are pleased to offer an in-person preconference for the first time since 2020 and it will be held at Cleveland State University on Thursday, May 14th, 2026. The free preconference is meant to build community, allow for the exchange of ideas and resources, and offer training related to textbook affordability for our Ohio colleagues.

Join librarians, instructional designers, and other support staff from across Ohio for a day focused on:

  • Building community
  • Sharing ideas, practices, and resources
  • Hands-on training related to textbook affordability and open educational resources

The Pre-Conference is scheduled from 10:00 am to 3:40 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, 2026. A light breakfast and lunch, as well as parking, will be provided. Please reach out with specific questions by emailing opencon@csuohio.edu

Registration for the May 14th preconference is closed.

Location

CSU is located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio and can be easily accessed from several major highways. Driving Directions to CSU, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.

Hotel Accommodations

Many hotels are available in downtown Cleveland. Here are a few we recommend:

Comfort Inn
1800 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115 (directly across the street from the Pre-Conference venue, CSU College of Law)

Crowne Plaza® Cleveland at Playhouse Square
1260 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115 (withing walking distance of Cleveland State University)

Discover Cleveland

Visit Discover Cleveland which includes places to eat, things to do, and other hotel options.

SPONSORS

Thank you to our generous sponsors, Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) and OhioLINK for their financial support for the pre-conference and conference.

MHEC and OhioLINKlogos







OpenCon Ohio Pre-Conference Planning Committee

Cleveland State University:

  • Mandi Goodsett, Performing Arts & Humanities Librarian, Michael Schwartz Library
  • Barbara Loomis, Digital Scholarly Publications and Programs Administrator, Michael Schwartz Library
  • Laura Ray, Outreach & Instructional Services Librarian, College of Law

OhioLINK:

  • Anna Bendo, Director, Affordable Learning Initiative

The Ohio State University:

  • Amanda Larson, Affordable Learning Instructional Consultant, University Libraries

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Preconference Schedule:
2026
Thursday, May 14th
9:00 AM

Registration and Light Breakfast (Law Atrium)

MHEC

Law Atrium

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

10:00 AM

Introduction and Welcome

Kevin Garewal, Cleveland State University
Amanda Larson, The Ohio State University
Anna Bendo, OhioLINK

Moot Courtroom (College of Law)

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM

10:15 AM

Creating Courses Using OhioLINK’s OpenAuthor Tool

Elicia Flom, Columbus State Community College

Moot Courtroom (College of Law)

10:15 AM - 10:55 AM

10:55 AM

BREAK

All Attendees

Atrium

10:55 AM - 11:00 AM

11:00 AM

Get a Leg Up on Leganto: Course Materials at the University of Minnesota

Shane Nackerud, University of Minnesota

Moot Courtroom (College of Law)

11:00 AM - 11:40 AM

11:40 AM

Highlighting OER and Affordable Learning Wins through Data Dashboards

Tim Sandusky, Bowling Green State University
Marc Jaffy, Franklin University

Moot Courtroom (College of Law)

11:40 AM - 12:20 PM

12:20 PM

Lunch

All Attendees

Atrium

12:20 PM - 1:20 PM

1:20 PM

Roundtable Discussions

All Attendees

Atrium

1:20 PM - 2:00 PM

2:00 PM

Exploring Manifold and How You Can Use it To Publish OER

Karen Lauritsen, Open Education Network
Jamie Witman, Open Education Network

Moot Courtroom (College of Law)

2:00 PM - 2:40 PM

2:40 PM

BREAK

All Attendees

Atrium

2:40 PM - 2:50 PM

2:50 PM

Providing Choice: Letting Students Know about OER Availability

Mandi Goodsett, Cleveland State University
Mira Scarnecchia, Columbus State Community College

Moot Courtroom (College of Law)

2:50 PM - 3:30 PM

3:30 PM

Wrap Up and Raffle

All Attendees

Moot Courtroom (College of Law)

3:30 PM - 3:40 PM

4:00 PM

Optional Social Gathering

All Attendees

TBD

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM