New Co-Authored Book Chapter

My colleague, Dr. Bianca Reisdorf (UNC Charlotte) and I have a chapter that was just published in an edited volume, titled “Digital Inclusion: An International Comparative Analysis” (Rowman & Littlefield) by Massimo Ragnedda (Northumbria University) and Bruce Mutsvairo (University of Technology Sydney). The title of our chapter is “An Asset-Based Approach to Digital Inclusion Research in the US Context” and features some of the research findings included in my report, titled “Digital Inclusion and Meaningful Broadband Adoption Initiatives” published by the Benton Foundation in 2016.

Here is the description of the book from the publisher’s website:

“The volume examines the risks and opportunities of a digital society characterized by the increasing importance of knowledge and by the incessant rise and pervasiveness of information and communication technologies (ICTs). At a global level, the pivotal role of ICTs has made it necessary to rethink ways to avoid forms of digital exclusion or digital discrimination. This edited collection comprises of chapters written by respected scholars from a variety of countries, and brings together new scholarship addressing what the process of digital inclusion means for individuals and places in the countries analyzed. Each country has its own strategy to guarantee that people can access and enjoy the benefits of the information society. While this book does not presume to map all the countries in the world, it does shed light into these strategies, underlining what each country is doing in order to reduce digital inequalities and to guarantee that socially disadvantaged people (in terms of disabilities, availability of resources, age, geographic location, lack of education, or ethnicity) are digitally included.”

New Article in Public Library Quarterly

I am excited to announce the publication of my new co-authored article with Simmons SLIS alum, Christiana Urbano Stanton, entitled “Developing Media Literacy in Public Libraries: Learning from Community Media Centers” out today in Public Library Quarterly.

Here is the abstract:

“The rise of digital media labs and spaces for content creation in public libraries has been documented in the scholarly literature. However, fewer studies have investigated the outcomes of media literacy initiatives in community media centers (CMCs) and how they might inform similar programs and services in public libraries. This article reports findings from a study that used qualitative research to investigate the current goals and activities of CMCs across the United States. The findings show that the educational, social, and community benefits of these programs could be useful for public libraries to consider in developing or augmenting their own media literacy initiatives.”

I want to thank my co-author, Christiana Urbano Stanton for her excellent work on this article. This article would also not be possible without the assistance of Mike Wassenaar, President and CEO of the Alliance for Community Media, along with representatives from the ten community media centers featured in the article, including: Arlington Independent Media; Bay Area Video Coalition; Cambridge Community Television; Davis Media Access; Grand Rapids Community Media Center; MetroEast Community Media; PhillyCam; Sun Prairie Media Center; St. Paul Neighborhood Network; and “Community Media Center 10” (name anonymized to protect privacy of participant).