Angela Chikowero is a Research and Engagement Librarian at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Library. She earned her Master in Library and Information Science in 2010 from Dalhousie University (Canada) with a thesis on the effects of cognitive style and curiosity on multitasking. Angela worked with the UCSB Linguistics Department as a Language Consultant and Membership Coordinator for the Consortium for Training in Language Documentation and Conservation. Angela also worked as the Head of Course Reserves (2014-2016) and Head of Circulation and Course Reserves (2016-2020) at the UCSB Library, where she oversaw electronic and course reserves processing. She was a key member of the UCSB Library’s Textbook Affordability Taskforce. Angela’s research interests include information access and diversity, library leadership and change management, disinformation, and misinformation. Angela has an immense interest in Open Educational Resources (OER), a key aspect of her experience over the last 10 years. She looks forward to exploring and developing OER initiatives at UCSB.
Angela’s capstone project, “Identifying OER Needs for High Enrollment Classes,” entailed an environmental scan of her institution. She conducted two surveys, one for faculty and another one for the Promise Scholars Program students. The environmental scan helped to determine what faculty know about OER, if they are utilizing them, and if they would consider using them for their students’ resources. Through the environmental scan, Angela also assessed the Promise Scholars Program students’ textbook acquisition challenges, what they know about OER, and how they can be advocates for Open Education. The information obtained from the two surveys resulted in some OER initiative recommendations for Angela’s institution.
