The university system of maryland will plan a project to articulate the role of academic libraries and library consortia in increasing the relevance of open educational resources through OER…

The University System of Maryland (USM) received a $149,877 federal Project Grant award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the National Leadership Grants (CFDA 45.312) program. The 2-year grant, awarded on August 1, 2023, will fund a project to articulate the role of academic libraries and library consortia in increasing the relevance of open educational resources (OER) through OER localization. The project aims to develop a replicable framework that positions academic libraries and consortia as leaders and supporters of OER localization efforts to benefit their students, faculty, institutions, and communities. The project intends to advance the field of OER beyond a focus on cost savings and toward a broader commitment to equity and student success, while also spurring national dialogue on the roles academic libraries and consortia can play in supporting student success through relevant instructional materials and practices.

The university system of maryland will plan a project to articulate the role of academic libraries and library consortia in increasing the relevance of open educational resources through OER localization. The goal is to develop a framework that can be used across academic library and consortial contexts to position those entities as leaders in and supporters of OER localization. The grant seeks to explicate the replicable practices and partnerships that enable localization of OER to benefit the constituencies that academic libraries and consortia across the country serve: their students, faculty, institutions, and larger communities. In addition to advancing the field of OER from a narrow focus on cost savings toward a broader commitment to equity and student success, the project also intends to spur national dialogue about the roles that academic libraries and consortia can play in contributing to student success through the development and sustained support of relevant, constituency-oriented instructional materials and practices.