Nancy A. Henke
ALA Divisions:
Thoughtful, strategic, organized.
I just finished listening to John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed for the second time (it’s excellent). I’m also reading IQ84 by Haruki Murakami.
Collaboration, education, advocacy.
I value all the things I’ve learned thanks to ACRL. I attended the conference for the first time in April, for instance, and it was educational and energizing. I also appreciate the email updates with links to articles, blog posts, and info about upcoming webinars.
As my university’s Textbook Affordability Librarian, I coordinate initiatives that help reduce textbook costs for students. More specifically, I educate campus stakeholders about Open Educational Resources (OER), Library-Licensed Educational Resources (LER), and other no-cost materials; chair our Affordable & OER Committee; curate zero-cost options for specific courses; and administer grants from the Colorado Department of Higher Education to encourage the adoption, adaptation, and creation of OER.
Knowing that my work has a direct, positive effect on students is a major motivator for me. While the most visible appeal of OER is the cost savings, which can be significant and create a more equitable playing field for all learners, fewer people realize that OER also support student success. Multiple studies have shown that students in OER courses have higher passing and completion rates, and that OER-enabled open pedagogy, where students contribute to the creation of course materials, is a high-impact practice that increases engagement and deepens learning.
Librarianship is my second career, and I have found the academic library community (especially the open education community) to be incredibly supportive, kind, and inclusive. Even more impressive is how thoughtfully disruptive librarians are. Every day, in both big and small ways, my colleagues practice radical kindness toward marginalized students, helping them feel they belong and are valued in a political climate that often tells them otherwise. They are also quietly gutsy in advancing critical thinking, information literacy, and knowledge sharing in the face of powerful forces that seek to quash them. It’s a privilege to spend my work life among people guided by both intellect and heart.
Pronouns:she/her
Credentials:MA, MLIS
Title:Textbook Affordability Librarian
Workplace:University of Northern Colorado
Location:Greeley, CO