Librarians’ Roles in OER Authoring and Open Pedagogy: Lessons from the Field

Open Educational Resources (OER), or learning materials such as textbooks that are available without cost to students and include permissions for reuse and adaptation, are a growing part of academic library resources and services. This trend also appears in other areas of higher education; for instance, librarians increasingly serve as partners with faculty in the creation and delivery of online courses that use OER materials. This article discusses a partnership among three individuals, all trained as librarians, whose teamwork produced an OER textbook and an open-pedagogy-driven online course. The partnership represents an adaptable model of the types of contributions necessary to effective online instruction framed by the values and modalities of the open education movement. We explore the complex nature of this partnership by articulating the underpinning concepts and essential skills.