Information for All: Fostering Belonging Through Access to Educational Materials

While library workers strive to increase patron belonging and student success through their efforts to create access to affordable educational resources, students responding to the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois’ Illinois Course Materials Survey: Student Perspective (2023) shared that they continue to struggle to afford their course materials. Libraries are responding to this need through collection development efforts for physical and electronic resources, including ebooks, databases, and course material reserves. Libraries also endeavor to serve their patrons’ needs by leading efforts to create and use open educational resources, as well as making these affordable options easily visible to their patrons. Educational resources offer valuable opportunities for libraries to increase belonging for all learners, whether primary, secondary, post-secondary school students, home-school students, international students, or adult learners.
 
Learning Objectives:

1.  Recognize the need for patron belonging through access to educational materials
2.  Understand the wide range of educational materials available to support patrons’ lifelong learning
3.  Determine ways your library could support your patrons’ need for access to educational resources.

This webinar is open to Illinois library workers and members of the Professional Development Alliance.

Brought to you by the Professional Development Alliance.