This presentation is a continuation of our previous reflections on the role of academic libraries in Open Education. In September of 2024, the presentation “One Step Away: Embracing OER in Libraries as a Key Element of Open Science” was a response to an invitation by the swissuniversities Swiss Library Network for Education and Research (SLiNER). This presentation was followed by a world café session with the head of various libraries. The objective of this session is to synthesize the key insights from these discussions and to initiate the bottom-up drafting of a national Open Education policy and a community around this project.
At SLiNER, we provided a historical and philosophical background on the Open movement, tracing its development from the University of Bologna (1088) to the free software movement through to the concept of Open Society by Bergson (1932) and Popper (1945). This background has shaped current understandings of Openness as a continuum focusing on one end on the product (i.e., the shareable resource), and on the other end on the collective activity (i.e., the commons) (Bollier, 2024; Dardot et Laval, 2015; Leonelli, 2023). A closer examination of the governance of open science and open educational resources thus gives rise to inquiries into self-determination, agency (Fischli & Beschorner, 2022), and morality (Fuchs, 2020).
In addition, an examination was conducted into the manner in which Big EdTech Artificial Intelligence is reshaping higher education, thereby highlighting the necessity for libraries to critically reflect on their role in supporting Openness. Libraries are uniquely positioned to facilitate both ends of the continuum. With regard to resource management, they can leverage their expertise in metadata management, copyright, and knowledge organization. In terms of supporting collective activity, libraries as third places represent a unique location where the three missions of the University concretely take place. Libraries function as a physical space for collaborative creation, situated at the intersection of citizenship and institutional life. Building on the extant expertise in the domain of Open Science, formal mandates in this field and existing national strategies that reference or are informed by UNESCO recommendations, this session aims to initiate the formulation of an OE national policy and the establishment of a working group to achieve this objective.
Following this presentation, a panel discussion will be held during the session, where representatives will share insights on the current state of Open Educational Resources (OER) at their respective institutions (the list of institutions is currently under construction).
If you are interested in participating in the panel discussion, please reach out to Mathilde Panes at mathilde.panes[at]hepl.ch.

References:

Bollier, D. (2024). Challenges in Expanding the Commonsverse. International Journal of the Commons. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijc.1389
Dardot, P. et Laval, C. (2015). Commun. Essai sur la révolution au XXIe siècle. La Découverte.
Fischli, R., & Beschorner, T. (2022). Digital Freedom –Opening up the Debate. Morals & Machines, 2(1), 10–21. https://doi.org/10.5771/2747-5174-2022-1-11
Fuchs, C. (2020). The Ethics of the Digital Commons. Journal of Media Ethics, 35(2), 112–126. https://doi.org/10.1080/23736992.2020.1736077
Leonelli, S. (2023). Philosophy of Open Science. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009416368