With the rapid expansion of OER, Libraries need to become intrinsically integrated into the open education movement. In the state of Utah the role of libraries advocating for and supporting OER adoption and application takes multiple forms. One advocacy project that embodies this shift in the attitudes of Libraries is the ILEAD (Innovative Librarians Explore, Apply and Discover) project "Utah OER". ILEAD is an initiative designed to help librarians understand and respond to user needs through the implementation of participatory technology tools. "Utah OER" is a cross-institution collaboration exploring librarians' unique authority to utilize their expertise with information literacy, academic support, and advocacy to promote the finding and use of open access academic materials through the "Utah OER" advocacy website and additional resources. At a higher level in Utah, the Utah Academic Libraries Consortium (UALC) is discussing the role of libraries in OER adoption and application. This consortia level of support for OER in Utah activates conversations considering Library roles of leadership and advocacy. As a member of UALC, Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) Libraries are examining their role with OER and the UALC initiatives around OER. The academic libraries in Utah have a variety of roles in implementing and assisting in the use of OER. Some libraries are on the vanguard of OER on their campus, others are merely supporting the larger work schools have already done. This presentation will examine these varying levels of roles libraries in Utah that have advocated and supported for OER adoption and application as well as address the pitfalls/barriers involved with such efforts.
