Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) Issues Statement on Open Education

From a CARL Statement:

The Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) endorses open education in view of the clear social and economic benefits it brings to the higher education sector and to society. CARL believes that the mission of universities is to create and disseminate knowledge, and that an open scholarship system that is accessible to all readers offers the surest path towards positively impacting human life on all parts of the globe. CARL further believes that opening all forms of scholarship to wide scrutiny enhances quality, increases accountability and promotes collaboration – thus leading to higher visibility and impact. Open education practices align well with these principles, as they reduce barriers to education, leverage technology to improve teaching and learning, and can result in high quality learning experiences.

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The OE landscape owes much of its thriving growth to the rich collaborative relationship between the different stakeholder groups who play a central part in developing and promoting these tools. With their unique expertise, academic library staff and librarians are well positioned within this community to be drivers of OE through responsive services to faculty and students that can impact issues of retention, equity, and financial vulnerability. However, while OE offers those working in academic libraries unique and promising opportunities for campus engagement, there will be “…an impact on staffing models and what is considered to be library work, with implications for the whole department and its relationship to the rest of the organization.”

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CARL is committed to supporting library staff and librarians in developing their knowledge and skills in OE as they advocate on their own campuses for an increased understanding and acknowledgement of this work and expertise.

Read the Complete Statement
3 pages; PDF. (860 words)

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