Getting Organized for Action: Governance Structure Models for Statewide OER Projects

When academic librarians began to address the high cost of textbooks a decade ago, they typically created textbook affordability programs tailored to the needs of their own institutions. Acting independently allowed for fast implementation and progress, but the downside of going it alone is the potential lack of sustainability. While colleges and universities continue to develop local programs, the predominant trend more recently is the statewide open educational resources initiative. This article reports the findings of a survey of these state initiatives to learn more about their governance structures, as no one model has emerged. This information can benefit existing and future statewide initiatives to optimally structure their governance model for productivity, inclusiveness, and sustainability.