2015 Charleston Library Conference

Open approaches have moved beyond open access, open source software, and open courseware to developments with open infrastructure and open processes. But open initiatives tend to be pursued separately by specialist groups, suffering from fragmentation and not having expected outcomes or impact.
The session will provide a simple overarching definition of open resources, and introduce a convenient framework enabling shared understanding of three different types of openness, illustrated by 13 examples of open domains relevant to libraries and information services. It will explain the common attributes, existing synergies, mutual benefits, and natural limits of open approaches, and discuss issues surrounding the development and implementation of policies and strategies to advance the open agenda, including current and prospective roles for librarians and information specialists in promoting openness in education, workplaces, communities, and society. The speaker will present resources and tools developed in her work, which attendees can use to share and compare their own experiences and plans for engaging with open resources and activities.
Attendees will gain a fuller understanding of the concept of openness and its relevance and implications for academic, public, and special libraries, and their parent organizations. They will learn about current developments and future directions for the open agenda, and they will be able to assess and determine their own future roles as educators, advocates, facilitators, collaborators, coordinators, and leaders of the open movement. They will be able to use insights gained from the session to strengthen their positions within their institutions and advance openness in society.