In 2019, the Libraries appointed five new Library Faculty Fellows to participate in pursuing the Libraries’ strategic directions to ensure access to authoritative information with a focus on managing Drexel-generated research output and containing costs of higher education with focus on lowering student costs to access required course readings. Their term lasted from January 8, 2019 to June 30, 2019. They worked on the following projects:

• Douglas H. Baird, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of Curricular Innovation and Student Success, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies of the College of Medicine, served as an advocate for Open Textbooks on campus. Dr. Baird raised awareness among faculty of the high costs of traditional textbooks and the benefits of assigning Open Educational Resources (OERs). He shared how these materials – as well as other resources that are no cost to students – can save students money. He also published a review of an open textbook from the Open Textbook Network (OTN), and he shared his experiences and the benefits of OERs through presentations and discussions with Drexel faculty, staff and administrators. 
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• Antonios Kontsos, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of Theoretical & Applied Mechanics Group (TAMG), College of Engineering, worked with two PhD students in his department to design a new freshmen engineering course that utilizes Open Educational Resources (OERs). The course (ENGR 113: Introduction to Digital Design & Advanced Manufacturing), is one of several sections in the spring freshman design course sequence. Dr. Kontsos and his students created a course curriculum that utilizes OERs for two key reasons: to create effective learning habits early on and because this particular module relates to a highly interdisciplinary field for which a single textbook simply does not exist.
  
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• Vito Gulla, Adjunct Professor, Department of English & Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences, wrote an Open Textbook for composition classes, which includes over 100 writing exercises designed to help students master various aspects of writing, from conquering structure, style, research or argument. Professor Gullo also hosted several focus groups for faculty from the College of Arts & Sciences to assess interest in and awareness of OER materials.
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• Kathi Martin, Professor and Director for the Drexel Digital Museum Project, Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, participated in the Esploro Early Adopter Program.
   
• Mark D. Zarella, Research Assistant Professor and Technical Director for the Advanced Pathology Imaging Lab, College of Medicine, also participated in the Esploro Earl Adopter Program.