Reusing What You Already Have: Utilizing Existing Technology to Build an OER Catalog of Materials

Reusing What You Already Have: Utilizing Existing Technology to Build an Open Ed Resource Catalog of Course-Specific Materials

Beth Chenette

Using the Libraries’ existing reserves system (Ares), in collaboration with history faculty, we created resource catalogs for two large history courses. These sustainable catalogs contain open education and library-licensed course materials with full citations, launchable links, and tags that sort items into topics and eras. Instructors can view the resource catalogs through the course reserves system and choose course-specific materials they’d like to use.

Library Wins: Items already entered in the reserve system and may be cloned into any new semester course section. The resource catalog creation process allows faculty and librarians to keep an eye on copyright as materials are placed in the reserves system. Utilizing the resource catalog means less time spent on data entry and quicker turnaround time each semester for reserves processing.

Faculty Wins: Resources are shared and they may choose from open and library-licensed materials as they develop their courses; items may be added as needed to these sustainable course-specific resource catalogs.

Student Wins: No cost history resources that they can learn from during class or use for additional projects.