Sharon Wagg

Dr. Sharon Wagg serves as a Lecturer in Library and Information Management at the University of Sheffield's School of Information, Journalism and Communication since 2022. Her work bridges academic research with practical policy interventions in digital inclusion, focusing on rural communities and underserved populations across the UK.

Her academic credentials include:

• BSc from University College London (UCL)
• MA from the University of Sheffield
• PhD from Loughborough University (2021), funded by the Mark Hepworth scholarship

Dr. Wagg's research centers on digital inclusion/exclusion dynamics, digital poverty, and the sociomaterial entanglement of technology in organizations and communities. She employs qualitative methodologies to analyze how digital divides manifest among vulnerable groups, with particular emphasis on rural connectivity, public library ecosystems, and policy implementation. Her theoretical framework integrates Activity Theory, Social Worlds Theory, and Practice Theory to unpack digital adoption complexities.

Analysis of her 13 most recent publications (2020-2024) reveals consistent focus on rural digital infrastructure (particularly 5G deployment), community network weaving, and strategic service rollout for marginalized populations. Her work demonstrates strong policy relevance through DCMS and British Academy-funded projects, with recurring themes of stakeholder collaboration and context-specific solutions for digital poverty.

Dr. Wagg has not received publicly documented scientific awards or fellowships beyond her PhD scholarship.

Her grant portfolio includes DCMS-funded Mobile Access North Yorkshire (MANY) project and British Academy digital poverty research. She actively supervises PGT dissertations and expresses strong interest in PhD supervision across digital exclusion in remote work/learning, public library digital initiatives, and rural infrastructure development:

• Current Projects: Derbyshire digital inclusion network development, 5G community engagement toolkits
• Supervision Focus: Digital literacy, mis/disinformation, school libraries, organizational digital adoption

Dr. Wagg collaborates extensively with third-sector organizations including Good Things Foundation and UK5G Innovation Network. Her research teams integrate community stakeholders, local authorities, and telecommunications providers to co-design digital inclusion solutions, particularly evident in the MANY project's community engagement framework for rural infrastructure deployment.