Institutional Repositories (IRs) have traditionally served as digital archives for preserving academic output. However, their role in promoting Open Educational Resources (OER) within research-intensive engineering colleges remains underexplored and underutilized. This theoretical study reimagines the IR not as a passive content storehouse, but as an interactive, learner-centric ecosystem that enables knowledge sharing, faculty visibility, and student participation. Through a comprehensive review of global practices and conceptual synthesis, the paper identifies innovative best practices that align with the needs of modern engineering institutions. The core proposition of this study. is the development of the R.E.A.C.H. Model—a human-centered framework comprising Repository as Research Commons, Engagement Layer, Access by Design, Collaboration Pods, and Human-Centered Curation. The findings underscore the importance of cultural, technological, and policy-level transformation in the design and deployment of OER-centric IRs. The paper offers actionable insights and a scalable model aimed at fostering openness, co-creation, and digital equity in higher education. Keywords: Open Educational Resources (OER), Institutional Repository (IR), Engineering Colleges, Best Practices, R.E.A.C.H. Model, Library Innovation
Maral et al. (Thu,) studied this question.