This post was originally published on the ACRL-Oregon/OLA Academic Division website. Reproduced with permission.
The ACRL-Oregon Award for Excellence is a project-based award given annually to an individual or group whose project or initiative has significantly improved Oregon academic libraries or librarianship.
We are proud to announce this year’s award winner, Amy Hofer, Coordinator for Statewide Open Education Library Services, for leading the Open Oregon Educational Resources project which has statewide impact on supporting open education resources (OER).
Ms. Hofer created the Open Oregon Educational Resources website, openoregon.org, which “promotes textbook affordability for community college students and facilitates widespread adoption of open, low-cost, high-quality materials.” She has traveled extensively throughout the state of Oregon, hosting OER trainings at almost every community college to support open education efforts on these campuses. Open Oregon Educational Resources tracks adoption of OER at community colleges and progress toward a statewide Z-Degree, in addition to managing grants for instructors to adopt, adapt, and create open content for their courses.
Ms. Hofer has worked closely with library leaders on textbook affordability issues and provided specialized reference services highlighting open, free, and low-cost course materials. She supports librarians in using library holdings as course materials where OER are not yet available. Open Oregon Educational Resources shares open content through Pressbooks publishing and OER Commons. Through her significant efforts, Ms. Hofer has heightened Oregon’s profile in the national OER landscape.
The Coordinator for Statewide Open Education Library Services position was created by the Oregon Community College Distance Learning Association (OCCDLA) and is funded by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Community College & Workforce Development Office. Ms. Hofer thanks her reporting supervisor, Steve Smith, Director, eLearning and Media, at Linn-Benton Community College, and OCCDLA for supporting the work of Open Oregon Educational Resources.
Congratulations Amy Hofer, recipient of the 2016 ACRL-Oregon Award for Excellence!
Please visit the Award for Excellence page for more info about the award, as well as for a list of past winners and projects.
