Information Moshing: Open Educational Resources; What they are , Where they are , and What can we do with them.

Open Education Resources (OERs) are becoming more common throughout educational institutions; however , there is still a need for conversation and to promote the free resources that are available. OERs can be used as an outreach tool for patrons to gain access to works and materials that may only be available for a fee through a paid educational institution , school or for profit entities. OERs can be used as supplements or core learning for homeschool families that are on limited budgets , patrons seeking free material for lifelong learning , students in higher education , active military , as well as a tool for discovery. However , there are some common misconceptions of OERs that will be discussed , including accessibility , copyright , and compliance. The presentation will be include: what OERs are as well as their place in our communities. This presentation will also be covers the basics of where to find OERs , suggestions on how to provide access and information , providing examples of OERs and touching briefly on modifying OERs , CC licenses and Open and Alternative Textbook programs