Knight Foundation Awards for Research around Technology’s Impact on Democracy

Chris Coward smiling and holding a microphone.

July 26, 2019

TASCHA is thrilled with this week’s announcement by the Knight Foundation to establish the UW Center for an Informed Public (CIP). UW is one of five universities that received this award to develop a new field of research around technology’s impact on democracy. TASCHA Director, Chris Coward, is one of the new center’s co-Principal Investigators,…

Moonjung Yim’s educational pursuits fueled by curiosity, passion for social change

July 15, 2019

Growing up in a time of socio-economic turmoil in Seoul, South Korea, Moonjung (Moon) Yim’s interest in the intersection of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and development began at an early age. As she puts it,  “I had broad questions about how we define development and advancement in society, and who defines it, where we are…

International Visitors, TASCHA discuss digital engagement

July 10, 2019

Recently, Chris Coward, TASCHA Principal Research Scientist and Director, spoke with 12 international visitors from the Near East. The meeting attendees were participants of the State Department’s premier professional exchange program, the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The program brings current and emerging leaders from across the world to the United States to meet with…

Available Now: Data for Decision-Making Curriculum

June 7, 2019

Supporting organizations and communities to more effectively and responsibly use data for decision-making requires a comprehensive approach that provides tools to develop a robust data culture. Creation of this support should be approached in ways that are locally relevant and respect local knowledge and decision-making systems. That’s why TASCHA’s work in data for decision-making (D4D) strives…

TASCHA Researchers Head to AfLIA Conference

3rd AfLIA Conference & 5th African Library Summit Banner

May 20, 2019

Jason Young and I are headed off to Nairobi to participate in the 3rd AfLIA Conference & 5th African Library Summit, hosted by the African Library and Information Association and Institutions (AfLIA), our partners in the Advancing Library Visibility in Africa (ALVA) project. The theme for the conference is “African Libraries Creating the Africa We…

2019 Development and Access to Information Report Launch

May 17, 2019

Access to information accelerates development, and libraries make this a reality for many people around the world. The 2019 Development and Access to Information (DA2i) Report will offer new data, examples, and arguments for placing libraries at the head of national development strategies. Twenty of the targets set forth by the United Nations Sustainable Development…

EQUALS Research on Gender Equity, Access, and Digital Skills

April 24, 2019

At TASCHA, one of our primary research areas is Women & Technology. Under this framework, researcher Maria Garrido and others are focusing on how women can use, transform, and create digital technologies to advance gender equity both locally and globally. One of the many exciting initiatives Maria focuses her energy on is as a member…

Reflections on Libraries as Vital Community Resources

April 9, 2019

  TASCHA Researcher Rolf Hapel on, “What are the best practices/ways for libraries to distinguish themselves as vital resources in a community?” There are some important features and attributes of libraries that might not be regarded as extremely unique individually, but put together, they form a very strong and unique societal fabric/platform for the library….

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Academic Research

Bree Norlander presenting in front of power point screen

March 25, 2019

By Bree Norlander, TASCHA Research Scientist In spring of 2018, I was working with my TASCHA colleagues on the Mobile Reading Data Exchange (MRDX) project to better understand mobile reading patterns across the globe. Around the same time, we became aware of European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), its upcoming implementation date of May…

Facebook to Support Digital Literacy in Myanmar

March 20, 2019

We are so excited for our friends at Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation (MBAPF), for their recent partnership with Facebook, to create safe and meaningful digital literacy experiences. Facebook is working with MBAPF to add more content to the Mobile Information Literacy (MIL) curriculum, including “tips for staying safe on Facebook,” “critical thinking and…