Librarian Lobbyist? Front Lines of Virginia OER Legislative Advocacy

Abstract

Opportunities for librarian legislative involvement are somewhat inevitable. Those on the precipice can be propelled into policy and political engagement for personal and professional reasons. In the United States, employees of public institutions and corporations are typically bound by institutional policies regarding speech, policymaking, and communication with government entities on behalf of their respective institutions. This dual identity of government employee and private citizen can create complexity. Leadership approaches common to librarians emphasize human resources or cultural/symbolic framing rather than political framing (Bolman & Deal, 2017, p179). These can also create complexity. This peer-reviewed book chapter provides a case study of how one bill to encourage open educational resources at state institutions of higher education ("Virginia Bill to Encourage OER" HB454 2018) became Virginia law, though not as originally submitted. It offers insights for similiarly-situated public employees who wish to exercise their rights to engage with legislative processes as private citizens.