Lesley Gumb joined the New England of Higher Education (NEBHE) in late September 2019 as its Open Education Fellow to help build upon the grassroots efforts that have been underway for years in the Northeast aiming to lessen the burden that textbook costs place on higher education students and their families. Like so many of her colleagues doing this work day in and day out, she is passionate about breaking down this very real barrier to student learning and success. Many people still have only a vague sense of "Open Education," so she shares some thoughts on what it is and why it matters.