The New York State Library will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, April 20th, 3PM EST with Colin Rhinesmith, along with co-authors Pierrette Renée Dagg, Johannes Bauer, Greta Byrum, and Aaron Schill, presenting on their recently released working paper titled, “Digital Opportunities Compass: Metrics to Monitor, Evaluate, and Guide Broadband and Digital Equity Policy.” This webinar is an excellent opportunity for digital equity practitioners to learn about the Digital Opportunities Compass and how it can help with developing a state digital equity plan. This working paper introduces a measurement framework to guide state and local policy in the United States at a moment of unprecedented investment in broadband infrastructure and digital equity nationwide. The Digital Opportunities Compass is intended to assist digital equity stakeholders with the development and long-term assessment of remediation and intervention strategies.

Attendees of this session will:

• Deepen their understanding of the contexts that influence digital equity issues
• Obtain new strategies to advance digital equity in their community
• Acquire a framework that can be used to support grant writing for digital equity
• Gain insights into measuring the outcomes of digital equity programs

Colin Rhinesmith (he/him) is Founder and Director of the Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council, Research Fellow with the Quello Center for Media and Information Policy at Michigan State University, and Co-Editor-In-Chief of The Journal of Community Informatics.

Pierrette Renée Dagg (she/her) is the director of Technology Impact Research for Merit Network at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Johannes M. Bauer (he/him) is Professor in the Department of Media and Information and the Director of the Quello Center for Media and Information Policy at Michigan State University.

Greta Byrum (she/they) is a digital equity practitioner and researcher working in the field since the 2010 Broadband Technology Opportunity Program.

Aaron Schill (he/him) is Director of Research & Programs at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).