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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

We are currently accepting applications to join our #OER Communities of Practice for 2026/2027! This FREE program supports educators who want to connect with others interested in OER. Two tracks are available based on experience with open education. Learn more: iowaoer.com/oer-communit...

Connect with peers and learn more about oer! Two tracks available, call closes september 23.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

New blog post! As we gear up for the fall semester, we're sharing some tips on how to locate openly licensed images for your classes and #OER projects. This month's blog comes from Kayla Reed at Grinnell College: iowaoer.com/2026/08/13/a...

iowaoer.com

August 2026 Resource Highlight: Open Image Collections

This month’s blog post was contributed by Kayla Reed, Discovery, Systems and Digital Strategy Librarian at Grinnell College. Creating and adapting open educational resources is no small task!…

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

This week, a few of our community members are participating in the @openednetwork.bsky.social's summer sessions of OEN Engage! Did you know that Iowa #OER leaders have consortial access to the OEN? Learn more about consortial & institutional member benefits on our site: iowaoer.com/about-open-e...

iowaoer.com

About Open Education Network Membership

In 2020, Iowa OER helped coordinate with colleges and universities across the state to arrange for a discounted membership to the Open Education Network (OEN), a consortium of colleges and universi…

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Thanks to those who came out to our #OER Office Hours yesterday! These monthly drop-in sessions are being held by our team to help answer questions, offer support, & build community he OER-curious in Iowa. For those interested, we have another July session tomorrow! iowaoer.com/event/oer-of...

iowaoer.com

OER Office Hours

OER Office Hours are monthly meetings hosted on Zoom by the Iowa OER team. Why attend? Connect with others interested in OER, share advice, or ask questions of Iowa’s OER leaders. Drop in to …

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Our annual report was recently published! What did we learn? #OER use is still strong across Iowa, though some programs face challenges accessing this data. Some programs are running strong, with new #ZeroTextbookCost degrees, while others need support. Read more: drive.google.com/file/d/1g1ck...

Student savings from OER chart. A bar chart going up steadily every year until 2025. This year it is equal with the last, at 9.5 million dollars.

We have significant adoption levels across the undergraduate curriculum, and offer two Z-degree programs in math and marketing. Mount Mercy University.

Out program is still quote grassroots and we face many barriers, ranging from a lack of program budget to a lack of complete and accurate bookstore data. Anonymous respondent.

I want to see examples of similar-sized Iowa educational institutions providing things like OER incentive programs, course markings, and zero-cost textbook programs. Anonymous respondent.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Check out our latest blog post, discussing how the openness of #OER can make them powerful tools for making educational materials more accessible: "Accessibility Is Expanding What OER Can Do: A Moment of Opportunity for Iowa" iowaoer.com/2026/05/22/a...

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

New report! The College in High School Alliance, along with @iskme.org and @goopen.bsky.social have put out a report with policy recommendations to support for dual enrollment (concurrent enrollment in Iowa) with the use of #OER! See the report here: collegeinhighschool.org/resources/du...

collegeinhighschool.org

State Policy Guidance on Expanding Open Educational Resources in Dual Enrollment

New guidance for state policymakers on expanding the use of open educational resources (OER) in dual enrollment to close the affordability gap.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Earlier this year, we shared information about Iowa OER's @oercommons.bsky.social group, a space for sharing and finding #OER made or used by colleges across the state! If you're an Iowa educator using OER, consider linking to your resources in the collection! oercommons.org/groups/iowa-...

Share your favorite OER! graphic with an arrow pointing from an open textbook to the landing page for the Iowa colleges OER Commons group.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Looking for more events to follow in the #OpenEducation space? Check out the new events calendar that LibreTexts has shared below!

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Our April blog post, contributed by @openaccesselder.bsky.social is live now! "Update Schedules for OER" reviews why traditional edition updates may not be the best option for every class and outlines three examples of how #OER can be updated in unique ways: iowaoer.com/2026/04/27/u...

New blog post! Text over a photo of a person editing text on a laptop.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Exciting news, #OER friends! At this year's @aacu.org #AACUCLASS2026 Conference, it was announced that Open Educational Resources will be the twelfth #HighImpactPractice! "A robust research report on OER and Student Success" will be coming out later this spring, as will the official announcement.

Poster with a young woman smiling at a laptop. Finally a reality! Open educational resources will be the twelfth high impact practice.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

If you're interested in learning more about how to advocate for #OER amidst growing concerns about inclusive access programs, check out our new blog post from Katelyn Handler, Instructional Design and Student Engagement Librarian at Grand View University: iowaoer.com/2026/03/25/p...

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Are you an author or #OER lead in Iowa? Do you wish you had access to a publishing platform for your work? Check out our new blog post from @amhgruber.bsky.social about Manifold, which Iowa colleges have free access to through our consortial OEN membership: iowaoer.com/2026/02/19/m...

iowaoer.com

Manifold: Simpler OER Authoring & Adapting on a Shoestring

by Anne Marie Gruber, University of Northern Iowa (anne.gruber@uni.edu) While textbook access and affordability continue to be challenges for college students, many institutions don’t have e…

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

For our first Iowa OER webinar of 2026, we're hosting a Q&A about the new guidelines for accessibility! Many institutions are concerned about how these changes will affect their courses. Luckily, OER can be adapted to meet requirements without having to wait! iowaoer.com/event/making...

Making OER Accessible: A Title II Discussion. February 18, 2026. Noon to 1pm Central time.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Thank you @openaccesselder.bsky.social for writing this month's blog post! If anyone in our community has recommendations for future resource highlights or webinars from the Iowa OER team, you can send those to us directly or share your thoughts via our mailing list: iowaoer.com/contact/

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

It's great to see more examples of how people are teaching with #OER! Local educators may be interested in learning more about social annotation in courses using open textbooks (and other materials as well):

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Congratulations to our peers at Open Oregon Educational Resources for the launch of their open curriculum projects, a suite of peer-reviewed open textbooks with linked course packs and print options available. This is a great example for others in the #OER space! openoregon.org/open-curricu...

openoregon.org

Open Curriculum Projects Launch in Oregon and Beyond

Open Oregon Educational Resources is delighted to share our openly licensed course materials with an equity lens in Human Development and Family Studies, Sociology, and Criminal Justice…

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

If you're an Iowa college interested in supporting #OpenTextbook development, you should know that Iowa OER can help you access Manifold, an #OER publishing platform, through our membership with the @openednetwork.bsky.social! Learn more about this benefit and others: iowaoer.com/about-open-e...

iowaoer.com

About Open Education Network Membership

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

This month on the Iowa OER blog, we're spotlighting the work of Math faculty from @dordtuniversity.bsky.social who recently presented about their experiences with #OER: iowaoer.com/2025/11/19/n...

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

Interested in learning more about other open work that scholars are doing around the world? Join our peers at the Iowa Regent universities next week for a keynote lecture about #OpenAccess publishing and more! Register to attend the online presentation: uiowa.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

We recently finished a project to update our #OER Toolkit, a collection of resources from across the web pulled together to support OER leaders. Reviewing & organizing the content took some time, but we hope it will support our community! Access the toolkit on our site: iowaoer.com/iowa-oer-too...

Announcement graphic. Now available! Access handouts, guidance, images, and other resources from across the web to support your OER efforts.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Final call for applicants! iowaoer.com/oer-communit... If you or someone you know is interested in participating in this year's cohort for our free #OER Communities of Practice, be sure to get signed up by the end of the day tomorrow, September 19th!

Poster advertising Disciplinary OER Communities of Practice. Cohorts available for Psychology, teacher education, and environmental science/Agriculture. Apply to connect!

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Reposted by Iowa OER

Open Education Network @openednetwork.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

This fall, 🍁 reach for new possibilities with 2026 certificates from the OEN: CERTIFICATE in OPEN PEDAGOGY Create student-centered curriculum w/ open pedagogy. z.umn.edu/OpenPedCert CERTIFICATE in OPEN EDUCATION LIBRARIANSHIP Build your action plan to grow open education. z.umn.edu/OpenEdLibrar...

Photo of a person reaching up to open window curtains, letting sunlight stream into the room. Headline reads, "Because the possibilities are wide open."

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Did you miss our announcement last week about the #Iowa #OER Award winners? Check out the features for our award winners on our website, starting with Melanie Bloom, a high school teacher and recipient of our first OER Creation Award! iowaoer.com/oer-creation...

iowaoer.com

OER Creation Award Winners

2025 Melanie Bloom “I met Melanie several times during the course of the project to discuss open publishing and creative commons licensing for the BEESTINGZ curriculum. Each time, she asked t…

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Reposted by Iowa OER

OpenStax @openstax.org · 13/08/2025

New semester, new resources! 🙌 We’ve added 18 free online, expert-written, openly licensed textbooks to our library. They even come with free instructor resources like test banks & PowerPoint slides, too! 🙌 Give them a try this fall: openstax.org/blog/the-new... #OER #HigherEd #K12 #OpenStax

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

2 announcements in one week? That's right! Not only is the CFP for our 2025 Communities of Practice live, we've also just posted the official announcement for the winners of the 2025 Iowa #OER Awards! Learn more about the winners and their work with open education at iowaoer.com/iowa-oer-awa...

Colorful graphic announcing that the 2025 Iowa OER Award winners list is now live. Quote: "Check out the list of award winners on our website."

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Many of our community members have been looking for more opportunities to dig deeper into how open education programs are supported and sustained. Check out this series for some interesting insights! www.iskme.org/event/design...

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

Have you heard? We've just opened the call for participants for our annual OER Communities of Practice! Apply now through Sept 12 to participate! Instructors in the fields of Psychology, Teacher Education, and Agriculture/Environmental Science are encouraged to apply. iowaoer.com/oer-communit...

iowaoer.com

OER Communities of Practice

The Iowa OER Communities of Practice (CoPs) program supports instructors across the state who want to connect with peers over a shared interest in open educational resources (OER). Participants in …

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Wondering what the Iowa #OER team has been up to this year? It's been a lot! Our annual report is not yet public, but in the meantime, you can read up on one of our projects from the past year on our blog, our third annual OER Communities of Practice Program! iowaoer.com/2025/06/12/j...

iowaoer.com

Reflecting on the 2024/2025 Communities of Practice

During the 2024/2025 academic year, the Iowa Open Education Action Team ran our third Communities of Practice program, bringing together instructors across the state to share their interest in open…

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

New blog post! Learn about the amazing work behind openscied.org, a free, high-quality #OER science curriculum with the support of educators across Iowa & beyond. OpenSciEd is an excellent example of what educators can do when they're given the tools & time to succeed. iowaoer.com/2025/05/28/m...

New blog post! graphic over a fun science-themed background.

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Reposted by Iowa OER

Ithaka S+R @ithakasr.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

“Basic needs insecurity is a tangible crisis affecting adult learners nationwide.” We uncover the issue across #HigherEducation, and share federal, state, and institutional resources that have the potential to make a difference. Learn more: sr.ithaka.org/blog/from-ch...

While colleges and universities have implemented various programs to support students’ basic needs, many adult learners do not take advantage of them due to critical barriers.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

There's only a few days left to nominate yourself or a peer for an Iowa #OER Award! If you know an educator in Iowa (K-16) who has supported learners through open education work, please consider nominating them for this opportunity! iowaoer.com/2025-iowa-op...

iowaoer.com

2025 Iowa Open Education Awards

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

Have you or colleague used #OER for a class in Iowa? Consider nominating yourself or them for an Iowa OER Award! This new award celebrates instructors across the state working with OER, from K-12 to higher ed. Nominations are open until June 1: iowaoer.com/2025-iowa-op...

2025 Iowa OER Awards nominations open! 5 nomination categories: adopt, adapt, create, create supplementary materials, and open pedagogy. $1K to $2K per award.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Our latest blog contribution comes from Northeast Iowa Community College's Shannon Brenner, who shares her instructional design team's experience aligning #OER to courses through Course Blueprints! #InstructionalDesign #CourseAlignment iowaoer.com/2025/04/29/a...

A colorful poster with the text "new blog post!" in all caps.

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Cable Green, PhD @cablegreen.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

"Open access materials help to democratize knowledge," said Prof Marit Bovbjerg from OSU, where free and low-cost textbooks, including @creativecommons.bsky.social licensed open educational resources, have saved students more than $20 million since 2019. Read more: bit.ly/4kvcw81 #OER

bit.ly

Oregon State faculty’s use of free textbooks generates millions in student savings

To celebrate Open Education Week, read how OSU students have saved over $20 million thanks to faculty who use free textbooks and other OER.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Join us for our next Iowa #OER webinar, "Reflecting on #OEWeek25: Events, Projects, and Programming—Oh my!" This month, we'll chat about our favorite events from Open Ed Week and discuss potential ideas for the future (both small and large)! Register now: iowaoer.com/event/reflec...

Reflecting on OE Week 2025: events, projects, and programming, oh my! March 12, noon to 1pm CT. An Iowa OER Webinar.

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Reposted by Iowa OER

Rajiv Jhangiani @profjhangiani.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

This #OEweek I am delighted to celebrate a few milestones in Brock University's growing #OER grant program, including over $500,000 in student cost savings over 2 years, #OER adoptions across all of our Faculties, the launch of an OER adaptation stream, and the launch of an OER data dashboard.

brocku.ca

Celebrating milestones during Open Education Week

When it comes to making learning more affordable, accessible and customizable, Brock University has a lot to celebrate this Open Education Week. Now in its third year, Brock’s Open Educational Resourc...

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Next week, we're hosting a webinar with Anne Marie Gruber from UNI, who will describe how an #OER initiative with no budget can support publishing with Manifold thanks to support from the @openednetwork.bsky.social. Examples and documentation will be shared. Learn more: iowaoer.com/event/publis...

Publishing OER with Manifold webinar announcement. An Iowa OER webinar. Featuring Anne Marie Gruber, University of Northern Iowa. February 14th, 12 to 1pm CST.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

The Iowa OER team has been hard at work this year on a few #OpenEd projects! If you work with #OER, check out these resources on our website, iowaoer.com OER Promotional Kit for Institutions OER Training Modules Iowa OER Annual Survey Data Dashboard Conferences & Events Our wonderful blog And more!

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

The new #IowaOER blog post is up, and this is a good read, folks! "Unlocking Knowledge: The Role of OER in Iowa’s Public Libraries" discusses the potential role of #OER in #PublicLibraries for supporting lifelong learners, local homeschool populations, and others: iowaoer.com/2024/12/02/u...

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 21/10/2024

New blog post alert! This month, Anne Marie Gruber from UNI is sharing her experience learning about and supporting an #OpenPedagogy project! iowaoer.com/2024/10/21/o...

"New blog post" Iowa OER poster with a photo of a lecture hall

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 01/10/2024

Happy October! For this month's webinar, we're featuring our own @openaccesselder.bsky.social as she gives an entry-level overview of #OER for librarians & other support staff. Instructional designers are welcome to attend! Date: Oct 17, 12-1pm CT Register now: iowaoer.com/event/webina...

OER 101 for Librarians, October 17 2024. 12-1pm CT. An Iowa OER Webinar.

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 11/09/2024

Join us next week, Sept 17 from noon to 1pm CT for our next Iowa #OER webinar featuring special guest, Will Cross! This month's webinar will use the Code of Best Practice in #FairUse for OER as a foundation for interactive discussion. Learn more and register now: iowaoer.com/event/webina...

Webinar poster. Fair use for OER featuring Will Cross. September 17. 2024 from 12pm to 1pm CT. An Iowa OER webinar. www.IowaOER.com

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 21/08/2024

In this month's Iowa #OER blog post, our guest blogger shares his thoughts on "Artificial Intelligence and Librarianship: Notes for Teaching" by Martin Frické, a guide to AI, chatbots, language models, and more with an eye to their relevance in libraries: iowaoer.com/2024/08/21/a...

New blog post! graphic with a robot hand in the background

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 12/08/2024

It's time! Interested instructors & instructional designers can now apply for the 2024 Iowa #OER Communities of Practice! This program brings together educators from across Iowa to learn about OER & build capacity for high-impact open educational practices. Learn more and apply: bit.ly/oercops24

Flashy graphic with the title "Have you heard?" Text reads: Iowa OER has opened the call for participants for our annual communities of practice! Apply to participate now.

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Yani Bellini Saibene @yabellini.bsky.social · 26/06/2024

🤩 Day 23: 1 Tip I Would Give Anyone Who Wanted To Ensure Students' Engagement Online  Shared note-taking and exercise problem-solving with a shared document to engage students online.  🚀 yabellini.netlify.app/blog/2024-05...  #OpenEducation  #TeachingTechTogether  #30Ship30  #100DaysToOffload

yabellini.netlify.app

Day 23. 1 Tip I Would Give Anyone Who Wanted To Ensure Students Engagement Online | Yanina Bellini Saibene

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 29/05/2024

Are you attending the Iowa Library Association/ACRL & IPAL Spring Conference this week in Ames? Attend our presentation by @openaccesselder.bsky.social to learn more about Iowa OER's projects and how you can leverage them to support your institution's #OER efforts! www.iowaacrl.org/conference/

iowaacrl.org

Conference, ILA/ACRL

ILA/ACRL Spring Conference 2024 Sustainable Futures - May 29-30 Hosted by Parks Library, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa Commitment to...

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Iowa OER @iowaoer.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

A new blog post is up on the Iowa #OER website! Check out our April Resource Highlight "OER Duties in Job Descriptions," which features Amanda Larson's research collecting job postings for OER-related positions, and how you might use them to inform your work: iowaoer.com/2024/04/22/a...

iowaoer.com

April 2024 Resource Highlight: OER Duties in Job Descriptions

Many librarians and others who support OER initiatives do not have “Open Education” explicitly mentioned in their job descriptions. This situation can make it difficult to figure out ho…

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