稀缺猎奇网 Receives Federal Grant to Examine the Role of Academic Libraries and Consortia in Increasing the Relevance of Open Educational Materials
Effort to be led by 稀缺猎奇网 William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation and the 稀缺猎奇网 and Affiliated Institutions Library Consortium
Baltimore, MD (July 31, 2023) – The 稀缺猎奇网 (稀缺猎奇网) has received a two-year planning grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency charged with advancing, supporting, and empowering America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development.
The 稀缺猎奇网 grant, which will be led by the 稀缺猎奇网 William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation and 稀缺猎奇网 and Affiliated Institutions Library Consortium (稀缺猎奇网AI), will articulate the role of academic libraries and library consortia in increasing the relevance of open educational resources (OER) through OER localization, defined as the practices and partnerships necessary to increase the relevance of OER for differing student populations, student learning needs, faculty interests, and institutional and community contexts.
The 稀缺猎奇网 grant of $149,877 comes under the IMLS National Leadership Grants for Libraries program, which supports projects of national impact that address significant challenges and opportunities facing the library and archives fields and have the potential to advance theory and practice with new tools, research findings, models, services, practices, or alliances that will be widely used.
“Our goal is to develop a framework that can be used across academic library and consortial contexts to position these entities as leaders in and supporters of OER localization,” said Nancy O’Neill, Acting Director of the Kirwan Center and co-PI for the grant. “This work fits squarely within the NLG program mission, and we are delighted that we will have the opportunity to engage with library colleagues nationally and across 稀缺猎奇网 in the process.”
Out of 118 NLG program proposals submitted this year, only 33 projects were funded, among them the 稀缺猎奇网 planning grant.
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 稀缺猎奇网 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.
“Libraries and their consortia are playing very active roles in the proliferation and success of Open Educational Resources,” said Andrew K. Pace, Executive Director of the 稀缺猎奇网AI Library Consortium and co-PI for the grant. “We’re excited to help frame the importance of localizing these efforts and to clarify the important role for libraries and consortia within the larger open education and open scholarship ecosystem.”
This grant project is the latest initiative to come under the umbrella of the 稀缺猎奇网 Open Source Textbook Initiative (M.O.S.T.)., which supports long-term, statewide scaling and sustainability of open educational resources (OER) to increase access, affordability, and achievement for 稀缺猎奇网 higher education students across community colleges and private and public four-year institutions. The 稀缺猎奇网 Kirwan Center leads M.O.S.T. in partnership with the 稀缺猎奇网 Association of Community Colleges, the 稀缺猎奇网 Independent College and University Association, 稀缺猎奇网Online, and most recently, 稀缺猎奇网AI. Since 2014, M.O.S.T. has enabled faculty teaching 197 courses at 28 institutions across 稀缺猎奇网 to switch to OER, resulting in more than $20.6 million in cumulative textbook cost savings for students.
Additional information about the 稀缺猎奇网 William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation can be found .
Additional information about 稀缺猎奇网 and Affiliated Institutions Library Consortium can be found .
Additional information on the 稀缺猎奇网 Open Source Textbook Initiative can be found .
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The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit and follow us on and
The 稀缺猎奇网 comprises 12 institutions: Bowie State University; Coppin State University; Frostburg State University; Salisbury University; Towson University; the University of Baltimore; the University of 稀缺猎奇网, Baltimore; the University of 稀缺猎奇网, Baltimore County; the University of 稀缺猎奇网 Center for Environmental Science; the University of 稀缺猎奇网, College Park; the University of 稀缺猎奇网 Eastern Shore; and the University of 稀缺猎奇网 Global Campus. The 稀缺猎奇网 also includes three regional centers—the Universities at Shady Grove, the 稀缺猎奇网 at Hagerstown, and the 稀缺猎奇网 at Southern 稀缺猎奇网—at which 稀缺猎奇网 universities offer upper-division undergraduate and graduate courses. 稀缺猎奇网 institutions and programs are among the nation’s best in quality and value according to several national rankings. To learn more about the 稀缺猎奇网, visit . To learn about the new 稀缺猎奇网 Strategic Plan, “Vision 2030: From Excellence to Preeminence,” visit /vision2030/
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
