Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): Journal of New Librarianship
Column: Innovation in Libraries

What I Wish You Knew About OER: Contrasting Librarian and Faculty Perspectives from an OER Couple

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Terra Gullings
The University of Texas at Tyler
Dr. Kyle Gullings
The University of Texas at Tyler
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33011/newlibs/20/2

Published 2026-03-10

Keywords

  • Open educational resources,
  • OER,
  • advocacy,
  • librarian and faculty perspectives

How to Cite

Terra Gullings, & Dr. Kyle Gullings. (2026). What I Wish You Knew About OER: Contrasting Librarian and Faculty Perspectives from an OER Couple. Journal of New Librarianship, 11(1), 22–31. https://doi.org/10.33011/newlibs/20/2

Abstract

When you talk to others on your campus about OER, do you ever feel like you’re speaking different languages? So do we, and we’re a married couple working at the same campus! One a scholarly communication librarian in charge of campus-wide OER advocacy, and the other a faculty member who’s adopted, authored, and researched OER, we each bring our own skills, experiences, and motivations to the table. What might you be overlooking about the other perspective, and how might these blind spots be hindering your efforts to advance OER? This dialogic essay offers practical examples born from our lived experiences, delivered in a conversational and occasionally humorous tone. We explore the challenges and opportunities inherent in this dynamic relationship, focusing on how librarians can hone their approach to better address faculty needs and motivations, while faculty can learn to recognize and more fully utilize the expertise of their library colleagues.

Note: This script was first delivered as a presentation at the Open Education Conference, October 28, 2025, in Denver, CO.

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