New Article Published in Journal of Participatory Research Methods

Sangha Kang-Le and I have a new peer-reviewed article published in the Journal of Participatory Research Methods. The article, titled “Understanding the Value of a Digital Equity Researcher-Practitioner Collaboration Using Participatory Action Research,” presents an in-depth analysis of the participatory approach we used to produce our (2023) white paper, “Developing a digital equity theory of […]

iConference 2025 Panel Discussion: 20 Years of The Journal of Community Informatics

I look forward to moderating our iConference 2025 panel discussion, titled “20 Years of The Journal of Community Informatics: The Past, Present, and Future of Putting People First,” at 3:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 19th at Indiana University in Bloomington. The discussion is part of the iSchools Community Informatics Group Community Event and will […]

Presentation to ALA Digital Inclusion Working Group

I was invited to join the American Library Association (ALA)’s Digital Inclusion Working Group this week to present findings from my recently published article, titled “Public Libraries, Digital Equity Coalitions, and The Public Good” in Public Library Quarterly. Several participants in the working group participated in the research. While I was able to share early […]

Investing in the Human Infrastructure of Broadband

I’m excited to announce that our collaborative final report, co-authored with Dr. Revati Prasad (Benton Institute for Broadband & Society) along with significant contributions from Dr. Caroline Stratton (National Digital inclusion Alliance) and Larra Clark (American Library Association) on the Human Infrastructure of Broadband is out today! The report, titled “From the Ground Up: investing […]

Empire State Development Funds Planning and Research For Digital Navigator Services

Southeastern NY Library Resources Council (Southeastern) has received a grant to evaluate its digital navigation services at libraries and community organizations across the Mid-Hudson Region. The project, led by the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO) in collaboration with Dr. Colin Rhinesmith, Visiting Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of […]

New Article in Public Library Quarterly

My new article, titled “Public Libraries, Digital Equity Coalitions, and the Public Good” was published this week in Public Library Quarterly. The article features findings from a 2024 study of U.S. public libraries. The goal was to gain a deeper understanding of their role in digital equity coalitions, as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration […]

Welcome to the DEAR Lab

The Digital Equity Action Research (DEAR) Laboratory in the School of Information Sciences (iSchool) engages in community-engaged and participatory research to advance digital equity in Illinois and worldwide. We partner with community-based organizations, government agencies, philanthropic organizations, and other entities to advance mutually-beneficial research initiatives that benefit those most impacted by digital inequities.

Digital Equity Action Research (DEAR) Lab
Email: crhines@illinois.edu