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Open Educational Resources Advocacy Toolkit

Types of OER Advocacy - Sample Strategies

Librarians can perform multiple roles in advocating for OER both as a catalyst and central collaborative leader for awareness building, adoption oversight and project management. Librarians can play a role in identifying and cultivating partnerships with student organisations, government entities, multiple institutions and the profession. Examples of internal organisational advocacy strategies can include:

  • cultivating networks
  • awareness-raising
  • promoting
  • targeting
  • generating interest
  • leveraging opportunities
  • establishing partnerships
  • providing professional development.

There are many options and opportunities for advocating for OER included in the Create an Action Plan for OER Advocacy section of this guide as your advocacy strategy should be tailored to the need and the situation. Examples of strategies targeting different groups within the university include:

Target Group

Strategy

Librarian advocating to a committee [Word 673KB]

Attending meetings to:

  • raise the profile of existing projects
  • secure interest and commitment
  • develop a wider network of contacts within the university.

Librarian advocating OER to academics [Word 121KB]

Discussing the benefits of OER, including:

  • equity and access
  • authentic learning
  • adaptable formats. 

Librarian advocating for open textbooks [Word 379KB]

Strategies can include:

  • raising awareness of open textbooks
  • identifying units or courses with challenging access to texts
  • providing professional learning.

More details of these strategies are included in Create an Action Plan for OER Advocacy.