On Thursday, April 20, DERC Director Colin Rhinesmith joined co-authors Pierrette Renée Dagg, Johannes M. Bauer, and Aaron Schill to provide an overview of their Digital Opportunities Compass working paper for a webinar hosted by the New York State Library.
During the presentation (recording available here), the team introduced the Digital Opportunities Compass framework and shared ways the paper can support the assessment of digital equity initiatives at both the state and local level. The audience, which included digital equity practitioners from the New York Library community and around the country, engaged the co-authors in discussion of how the Compass might be used at the local level, ways to engage in ongoing Digital Equity Plan creation happening in each state, and next steps for the Compass—which include the creation of an accompanying tool for practitioners and the formation of a community of practice for those implementing the framework. As the event concluded, New York State Librarian Lauren Moore emphasized the Compass’s potential to provide a common language for evaluating, planning, and sharing digital equity work across sectors and states.
The team is seeking local organizations and state entities to pilot the tool currently under development. Those interested, or anyone with questions, ideas, or feedback about the Compass, are welcome to email crhinesmith (AT) metro (DOT) org.
Future events from the New York State Library can be found on their website.
