UNESCO is preparing a Draft Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER), as the next step forwards in its work in the area. Given the strong role of libraries in many countries in promoting such works, as well as the contribution they can make to library objectives, IFLA has submitted written comments. OER-UNESCO

Libraries are playing an increasingly important role in the creation, curation and promotion of open educational resources. For example, they can help through the support they offer in building digital repositories and the indexing and cataloguing this entails. They also support clearing copyright for the use of such resources and help library users through find and benefit from OERs.

UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation – has become an important player in this field. At its 39th General Conference in 2017, a resolution sets out a commitment to set out a recommendation to members on promoting OER.

IFLA has provided input to this work, underlining the need to ensure that access is democratic and inclusive, that copyright is not a barrier to use and development of OERs and that policies in place ensure respect for data protection and privacy.

IFLA also refers to the role of libraries as curators in OER, underlines the importance of copyright literacy for all relevant actors to ensure confidence in creating and using OERs, and strongly welcomes the recognition of libraries as having an important role in the sector. 

For any comments on this matter, please contact ariadna.matas@ifla.org or stephen.wyber@ifla.org.

The submission is available in a pdf document, through comments and track changes.