Management of Open Education Resources in Academic Libraries of Nigerian Public Universities

Abstract

With the growth of open educational resources (OERs), academic libraries have an opportunity to play a vital role in facilitating access, use, and development of OERs. This study explored the management practices of OER initiatives in Nigerian public university libraries. A sequential mixed method was adopted for this study using the sequential explanatory strategy. Quantitative method was used to gather data to inform the study population for the qualitative part of the study. The quantitative data was analysed descriptively, while the qualitative data was analysed thematically; both data were integrated into the discussion of findings to provide robustness and complementarity. The study revealed variability across institutions in the completeness of OER projects. It also found key drivers and challenges of integrating OERs in these institutions. While this study provided recommendations based on the findings, it also made suggestions for librarians seeking to expand their role in OER adoption through strategic leadership, faculty partnerships, and advocacy. The findings of this research contribute to the on-going discourse on OER adoption, offering insights into the challenges and opportunities facing academic libraries in sustaining OER initiatives.