About

Sarah LeMire is a professor at Texas A&M University College of Arts and Sciences, within the Department of English. Her research interests include Open Educational Resources, Information Literacy, Student Success, Libraries, and Veterans. She holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, an M.S. from the University of Michigan, and an M.A. from the University of Utah. Dr. LeMire has received numerous awards and honors, including the Texas A&M University Presidential Impact Fellow in 2021, the Texas A&M Sustainability Champions Team Award for ENGL 210 OER in 2021, and the ACRL Instruction Section Innovation Award in 2020. She has also been recognized as a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2017 and was named Veteran Supporter of the Month by Texas A&M University in April 2016. Her work emphasizes enhancing educational resources and student success through innovative approaches in information literacy and open educational practices.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Computer Science
• Political Science
• Mathematics education
• Pedagogy
• Medical education
• Psychology
• Endocrinology
• Environmental health
• Internal medicine
• World Wide Web
• Demography
• Gerontology

Selected publications

• Impact of OER on First Generation College Students: A Case Study

  Open Praxis · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  This case study examined the impact of open educational resources (OER) textbooks on student academic performance at a large public research-intensive university in the United States. The study employed logistic regression of course grades in 20 undergraduate courses to examine the relationship between student performance in a course and the type of textbook their professors chose to use. Study findings suggest that students using OER textbooks are likely to have improved academic performance compared to students in classes using commercial textbooks. This study also specifically examined the impact of OER on first-generation college students, or students whose parents did not complete a four-year college degree, as an underserved population likely to be negatively impacted by high textbook costs. Findings suggest that first-generation students are significantly more likely to receive an A in a course if their professor is using an OER textbook. This study’s findings support the notion that students for whom purchasing a textbook is a barrier are likely to see academic improvement if provided free access to course materials.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• “An Olive Branch From the Professors”: OER Textbooks and First-Generation College Students

  Journal of First-generation Student Success · 2026-03-26

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• First-Year and First-Gen: Assessing the Information Literacy Skills of First-Year, First-Generation College Students

  College & Research Libraries · 2025-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  As higher education continues to focus its attention on first-generation college students, academic libraries are increasingly interested in designing outreach and instruction programs to support these students, especially during their first year of college. This study informs these efforts by implementing a standardized test to assess the information literacy skills of first-year, first-generation college students. Study results reveal that first-year, first-generation college students demonstrate substantial information literacy skills. However, gaps remain in comparison with first-year, continuing-generation students, particularly in understanding the research process and scholarly communication.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Automatic textbook billing cost savings: Does the reality match the hype?

  Technical Services Quarterly · 2025-06-03

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Gains and Gaps in OER: Using Rubrics to Assess the Impact of OER on Writing and Information Literacy Skills in the Literature Classroom

  portal Libraries and the Academy · 2025-10-01

  articleOpen access

  abstract: Open educational resources (OER) reduce the textbook cost burden for students, but we must examine whether students using OER are learning the necessary skills to succeed in their academic work. This study used rubrics to examine student essays and evaluate whether students using OER and those using commercial textbooks varied in how they developed the analysis and research skills necessary for studying and writing about literature. Results showed that in nearly all categories of the writing rubric, students in OER-only classes scored significantly higher than students in classes using commercial textbooks, while those in classes using a commercial textbook tended to demonstrate stronger information literacy skills. This study identifies trends to address in revision of OER and pedagogy practices in addition to giving insight into student performance.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Student and faculty perceptions of textbook affordability course marking systems

  Technical Services Quarterly · 2025-12-03

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• A comparative analysis of college student information literacy skills by disciplinary group

  The Journal of Academic Librarianship · 2025-11-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Information literacy (IL) instruction and evaluation is commonly conducted by discipline, with liaison librarians involved in library instruction efforts. However, few studies have examined the IL skills of college students across multiple disciplinary groups. This study uses the Threshold Achievement Test for Information Literacy (TATIL) to measure student IL skills in four disciplinary groups: STEM, humanities, social sciences, and general studies. Study results suggest that students in humanities and STEM disciplines demonstrate stronger IL skills than their peers in the social sciences and general studies. Study findings have implications for instruction coordinators and liaisons as they allocate IL resources and advocate for new IL collaborations.

  PublisherDOI

• Faculty barriers to using open educational resources

  Open Learning The Journal of Open Distance and e-Learning · 2025-10-17 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• OER Librarianship: Examining OER Librarian Work, Motivations, and Origin Stories

  portal Libraries and the Academy · 2025-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding

  abstract: As the OER movement expands in higher education, libraries are increasingly seeking to add OER librarians to their organizational charts. As an emerging subfield, OER librarianship takes many forms, and there are many paths to OER work. This study examines OER librarians' paths to the field, including their motivations for entering and remaining in the field, their day-to-day work, and the barriers that they experience. The results of this study have implications for administrators seeking to develop or sustain OER programs in their libraries and on their campuses.

  PublisherDOI

• Exploring First-Generation Student Experiences with OER Textbooks

  College & Research Libraries · 2024-01-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  As academic librarians engage in Open Educational Resources (OER) creation and adoption programs, exploring student perceptions of OER provides information that can be used to revise and improve OER, to inform faculty perceptions, and to contextualize the benefits of OER in relation to student financial concerns. This case study explores how first-generation students perceive their textbooks, particularly in the areas of cost savings and format. It also supports research indicating that first-generation students are concerned about the cost of textbooks and experience financial challenges, such as food insecurity. Adopting OER may ease financial concerns and increase access to higher education for first-generation students.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Stephanie J. Graves

  18 shared

• Lorelei Rutledge

  University of Utah

  11 shared

• Amy Brunvand

  4 shared

• Elizabeth German

  Princeton University

  4 shared

• Zhihong Xu

  Texas A&M University

  4 shared

• Leroy G. Dorsey

  Texas A&M University

  4 shared

• Zackary Chance Medlin

  Texas A&M University

  3 shared

• Shannon Farrell

  University of Minnesota

  3 shared

Awards & honors

• Texas A&M University Presidential Impact Fellow (2021)
• Texas A&M Sustainability Champions Team Award for ENGL 210 O…
• ACRL Instruction Section Innovation Award (2020)
• Texas A&M Honoring Excellence Award (2020)
• LAUNCH Director's Award for Outstanding Service to Honors Pr…