Open Educational Resources (OER) and Libraries

In my trends watch at the beginning of the year (http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbReader.asp?ArticleId=52127), I mentioned that openness is increasingly a characteristic of many sectors and technologies—open access, open library, open source, open standards, open platforms, and more. Another open trend that is growing quickly is the adoption of open source textbooks. (I covered some of these initiatives in my October 2008 NewsBreak Update column in Information Today.) But, the more broadly named movement has come to be known as open educational resources (OER). OER focus not only on textbooks, but also on full courses, course materials, modules, journals, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques that are critical in the learning environment.