This research program examines how people’s experiences of digital change play out in libraries. It considers the role and value of libraries in a rapidly changing digital society. It focuses particularly on issues of belonging, exclusion and inequality. It also explores the rising social and cultural impacts of artificial intelligence.
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Report: New South Wales Report
2026
Coming December 2026. A report of findings from a qualitative study in partnership with the State Library of New South Wales, as well as Bega Valley Shire Library, Fairfield City Open Libraries, City of Sydney Libraries, and Central Coast Libraries.
Report: Access, Trust, Belonging
2025
Digital inclusion and the public library. A report of findings from a qualitative study in Randwick City Library, NSW Australia, on people’s experiences of digital change.
Report: Digital Inclusion Roundtable Summary
2025
Invited experts from libraries, academic research and government gathered to discuss finding from the “Access, Trust, Belonging” report.
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Public lecture: The future of libraries in the age of AI
2026
As libraries enter a new era shaped by rapid technological change, how will their purpose, function and public value evolve? This Public Lecture by Dr Ash Watson, part of the State Library’s 200 Years Lecture series, charts how technology is transforming everyday life and why the public library matters more than ever as a place for access, belonging and participation.
Article: The hidden cost of innovation
2025
A UNSW media piece on the digital divide. For some people digital changes have made daily life much easier. But this rapid growth in digital technology is also impacting the digital divide. The big consequence is that people can struggle to fully participate and feel that they don’t belong in Australian society as a result.
Video: Digital Inclusion Roundtable Summary
2025
A video on the focus of the UNSW, UTS and State Library of New South Wales partnership, funded by the UNSW-UTS Trustworthy Digital Society, on the digital divide and Australia’s libraries.
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Funding: Bridging the Divide
2026
Funding awarded by the UNSW-UTS Trustworthy Digital Society for the project “Bridging the Divide: Public libraries and the digital-social inequality loop”. The UNSW-UTS Trustworthy Digital Society brings together experienced voices from both University and Industry with the aim to facilitate the creation of a digitally enabled society that is equitable, inclusive, and sustainable.
