Abstract:

The printed learning resources are the prime and oldest media for delivery of education through the distance mode. These resoi~rcesa re available in different forms, such as books, self learning rnaterials (SLMs), wrap-around books, handbooks for tutorials, manuals etc. The development of these resources is a complex process. It needs considerable subject-expertise, printproduction experience, reasonable funding and time to produce materials of good quality, Increasing fiscal pressure on educational institutions has been making this work more difficult. It is now impossible for individual institutions to develop all the learning resources of high-qualiiy with the limited funds available with them. Educational institutions can overcome this problem by sharing such resources: learning resources developed by one institution can be shared by all others. In other words, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Sharing of learning resources not only provides an opportunity to overcome fiscal pressure but also strengthen poorly funded institutions to have access to quality rnaterials and compete on the scale of quality with well funded institutions. In this paper, we have addressed the issues of sharing of printed learning resources amongst educational institutions. We have addressed the main benefits of sharing resources and the potential barriers that might arise during transitions of resources. Sharing of resources has been addressed for both the protocols as well as the ne w-comers in lending and borrowing rnaterials fromh'o other institutions. The first section of the paper explains the needs and benefits of sharing learning resources, followed by the experiences of the lndira Gandhi National Open University in sharing such resources. We have also discussed briefly the initiatives taken across the globe to promote sharing of educational resources. Finally, the paper concludes with a framework for sharing printed resources across institutions