Learning materials are expensive, and the more specialized your field is, the more expensive they become. The University of the Western Cape (UWC) Library supports Open Educational Resources (OERs) to alleviate this problem. 

The term Open Educational Resources refers to free, open-source resources, in any format, for teaching, learning, and research.

The benefits of OERs include enhanced flexibility of resources, an opportunity to apply knowledge in a broader context, and support for learner-centred, self-directed, peer-to-peer and informal learning approaches.

OERs provide enhanced opportunities for digital literacy, and the ability to search, reuse, reassemble, re-distribute, re-brand, and network OERs to the larger learning community.