December 4, 2013
The International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD) takes place in Cape Town, South Africa December 7-10, 2013. Researchers from TASCHA regularly participate in this conference, usually held every 18 months. This year, TASCHA Director Chris Coward will present a paper at the conference based on the Global Impact Study, “The impact of public access to ICTs: Findings from a five-year, eight-country study.”
November 14, 2013
eInclusion – access to ICTs, ICT skill development, and digital literacy – is becoming increasingly important in both developed and developing contexts for social and economic participation. Strategies for shared access (telecenters, libraries, cybercafes, etc.) by eInclusion actors are particularly important for including marginalized populations. Successful investment to support eInclusion actors requires an understanding how venues operate. Commissioned by the European Union’s Joint Research Centre Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS), Telecentre-Europe and the Technology & Social Change Group conducted an online survey aiming to provide a ‘map’ of telecentres, libraries, and other eInclusion actors operating in the European Union (EU). The report presenting the findings of this survey, the first of its kind in Europe to collect data from eInclusion actors, is now available.
November 5, 2013
The use of ICTs, such as mobile phones, text messages, and various applications, increases with every emergency situation and disaster we see. The organization Libraries Without Borders (Bibliothèques Sans Frontières) recently held an international symposium, The Urgency of Reading, which brought together experts from all over the world to discuss innovations and good practices in providing access to information, ICTs, and culture in emergency humanitarian situations. Among participants from the United Nations, UNESCO, and various humanitarian foundations, TASCHA’s Maria Garrido was invited to discuss her research on the role of public access ICT venues, such as libraries and telecenters, in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake and tsunami in Chile. Maria presented the main findings of this research, as well as the recommendations based on the findings. Maria focused particularly on the importance of the physical space libraries provide in the aftermath of disasters.
October 22, 2013
Innovation Spaces: From Access to Information to Access to Each Other was the topic of a presentation delivered by TASCHA Director Chris Coward at Cotexto Digital in Bogota Colombia, October 17, 2013. Contexto Digital is a series of events organized by the National Library of Colombia and the Luis Angel Arango Library of Colombia aimed at addressing various topics at the intersection of digital media, culture, and development.
October 5, 2013
Join the Global Impact Study team at USC’s Annenberg School on Monday, October 7, for a review of what they learned, and to discuss how their findings should shape ICTD policies and programming in the years to come. If unable to attend in person, please follow along on Twitter at @TASCHAGroup.
August 13, 2013
Last month, we released the final report of the Global Impact Study of Public Access ICTs, Connecting people for development: Why public access ICTs matter. In addition to the overall analysis presented in the final report, TASCHA researchers also conducted analysis specifically related to ICT access in public libraries in Botswana, Chile, and the Philippines. The report based on this analysis, Public libraries connecting people for development: Findings from the Global Impact Study, is now available for download. Using data from Botswana, Chile, and the Philippines, the report summarizes the study’s key findings with a focus on libraries, situating these venues in the context of national development, discussing some disputed issues, and providing recommendations for policymakers, library practitioners, and researchers.
July 2, 2013
While you’re likely reading this on your personal computer, enjoying reliable and fast internet, millions of people around the world still lack private access to this increasingly necessary resource to function and prosper in today’s world. How do those people connect to digital society? For many, digital inclusion is found at a library, a telecenter, or a cybercafé – their local public access ICT venue. For over a decade, significant investments have been made in these venues. However, their ability to contribute to development agendas has come into question in recent times, spurred by the spread of mobile phones and other new technologies and applications. The Global Impact Study was designed to address this debate by generating evidence about the scale, character, and impacts of public access ICTs.
Today, TASCHA is excited to announce the release of the study’s final report, Connecting people for development: Why public access ICTs matter.
March 11, 2013
This Thursday, March 14, UK newspaper, The Guardian, will be hosting a live chat as part of their Global Development Professionals Network. From 1pm-3pm GMT, participants are invited to ask questions about libraries as drivers of development, among other topics. The chat will include all types of people who work with libraries in development: from the librarians themselves, to the community organizers who work with the libraries, to the government officials who support them. The chat will be informal, and will take place in the comments thread of an introductory blog.
March 8, 2013
Today, March 8, 2013, is International Women’s Day. Access to technology can empower women and girls of all ages, giving them the access and skills to participate in today’s digital and information society. We’re celebrating this day by showcasing some of the research we’ve done about women and technology, as well as highlighting some of the work our partners and associated organizations have done regarding women and technology.
February 22, 2013
TASCHA Director, Chris Coward, will be participating on a panel organized by IFLA during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) +10 review Meeting in Paris, France, February 25-27, 2013. The panel, Supporting Knowledge Societies through Public Access to the Internet, will cover various issues related to public access to technology. This is a great opportunity for Chris to present the findings of the Global Impact Study, the largest, most comprehensive study on public access centers to date.
