Serve, save, strategize: library support for open in education

“Access to information”. “Breaking down barriers”. “Support for learning”. These phrases are common to both librarianship and the open movement, as are emerging priorities like “marginalized communities” and “connected learning”. There is a clear strategic union between the two communities, and an opportunity for librarians to engage with this sector to better support their patrons within the current state of the educational sector. This session will explore the case for library support of open initiatives, including an overview of key research findings regarding the role of open in education. It will highlight resources to support open initiatives in teaching and research, particularly for patrons not employed in traditional academic institutional roles. Finally, it will suggest simple and time-efficient steps librarians of all stages and sectors can take to get involved in the world of open and education.