Kathleen Reed's Blog

I’m in the last year of an MLIS/MA (Humanities Computing) degree program at the University of Alberta, Canada. I have a BA in Women’s Studies (Honours) and History (Major), with a diploma in Intercultural Education and Training from the University of Victoria, Canada.

My research program combines information studies, intercultural studies, education, technology and social justice, with the aim of assisting members of oppressed groups to empower themselves and their communities. I’ve been involved in several tech projects that are based around these research interests, including developing a safe web space for racialized girls and women to interact, creating a mash-up of resources for homeless people and service providers, and building an online resource for isolated lesbian and bisexual women.

My current thesis research examines how the information behaviours of volunteer tourists doing ICT4D (information and communications technologies for development) work are influenced by immersion in new cultural environments. It is expected that this research will assist in developing better training and support procedures (including tech-based) for development workers in the field.

When I'm not doing academic work, I escape to the west coast of British Columbia to go surfing, kayaking, geocaching and hiking.