Open Education Resources: Storing and Accessing Computable Biomedical Knowledge in Libraries

Abstract

Can library science move forward as gatekeepers, creators, and consumers of computable biomedical knowledge or CBK (Williams, et al., 2020)? Yes. This research goes back to library skills to help information scientists and knowledge managers “get it.” Reviewing a pilot class for LIS professionals, we are developing online, sustainable open educational resource (OER) materials for global users. A community of practice will efficiently deliver biomedical applications for researchers, LIS professionals, healthcare providers, and patients. Our brave goal grew from an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant to put library and information professionals in the fore-front designing and maintaining effective medical repositories while collaborating with authors. Access to data is essential to establishing effective Learning Health Systems (LHSs). The vision is to improve healthcare where underutilization of appropriate and overutilization of inappropriate care lead to rising costs, less safety, and health disparities (Friedman, et al., 2017). The “mobilizing CBK” movement from Michigan’s Medical School LHS department is providing infrastructure, metadata, and networks to writing developers worldwide so access to research knowledge supports health-related decisions.

Pre- and post-assessments of pilot training by medical providers, health library directors, and LIS educators provided quantitative and qualitative data to design the OER. Fearlessly applying “open pedagogy,” we will support copyright laws but create and share practices that sidestep proprietary entanglements as librarians in Arizona researched (Casey & Daly, 2021).  We are developing an “open textbook” with learning modules like publish in open access, avoid bias, review systematically, redefine librarian’s role, and NLM tools.