Digital Equity Ecosystems Measurement Framework

Digital Equity Ecosystems Measurement Framework Report

The Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council published a new report today, titled “Digital Equity Ecosystems Measurement Framework” which I co-authored with my wonderful colleague Dr. Rafi Santo, Principal Researcher at Telos Learning.

As our press release explains,

The report presents findings from a participatory research project with thirty-two digital equity and digital justice coalition leaders from across the United States, who contributed their ideas to inform the Digital Equity Ecosystems Measurement (DEEM) framework.

This initiative responds to a broader need within the digital equity field for conceptual frameworks and measurement tools to assist local coalitions in gathering data for planning, improvement, and advocacy purposes.

At the end of the report, we provide a list of recommendations for the following stakeholder groups who we believe could benefit from the report’s findings: state broadband and digital equity offices, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, philanthropic organizations, academic researchers, and community members.

I am incredibly grateful to Rafi Santo for his brilliant insights, which played an enormous role in developing and shaping the outcomes from this project. Thanks also to the National Digital Inclusion Alliance for their collaboration and support.

I am also grateful to Nate Hill, Executive Director of METRO for his support, as well as to the following individuals for their additional assistance and support: Davis Erin Anderson, Meghan McDermott, Angela Siefer, Aaron Schill, Kathy Fall, Houman Saberi, Leon Wilson, Lauren Moore, Lynn Thurston, Munirih Jester, Bruce Clark, Chrissie Powell, Rebecca Gibbon, Hillary Kolos, and Aaron Deacon.

Many thanks also to Tony Murray who did an amazing job designing the report.

The Digital Equity Ecosystems Measurement Framework report is supported with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated to the New York State Library by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Community Informatics Research Network (CIRN) Nodes

CIRNDuring the closing session, titled “Drawing it all together; conference statements; 2023” at this year’s 20th Annual CIRN conference, attendees discussed their ideas about how we might continue the energy from the annual conference and stay more connected to and engaged with one another throughout the year. Larry Stillman from Monash University also asked if others in the room might be interested in helping to organize next year’s conference.

As I thought about the comments from participants in the room, during this final session, and how CIRN might best move itself forward as a network – rather than as a formal organization – an idea came to mind. What if CIRN built on its strength as a truly distributed model to support the development of more informal, ad hoc “network nodes” in locations around the world?

NetworkIn other words, what if CIRN nodes could provide a more distributed network organizing model to allow groups in different parts of the world to work together and stay connected in between the annual conferences?

In the meantime, I offered to help establish a new CIRN listserv hosted by the Metropolitan New York Library Council to help engage those who attended this year’s conference and others who have been involved in past conferences.

I look forward to helping to support the next 20 years of this wonderful CIRN community through this idea of the Community Informatics Research Network Nodes organizing model.

(Photo above by Noah Sussman available via a Creative Commons license on Flickr)