This report of the Effective Access research project is drawn from a multi-level investigation of high school STEM educators and their use of digital objects. The Effective Access team attempted to answer a number of questions to identify teachers unique needs in the digital library environment, to provide a better understanding of the possible impact of electronic resources on teaching and learning, and to develop a framework for future development of digital resources and technology supports. As a multi-layered project, Effective Access research is organized into several areas: the technology itself (technology access and capacity; the technology environment); the content and design of the digital resources; and the perceptions, assumptions, experiences, and practices of the teachers. Important lenses for the examination of these research areas are the social-cultural contexts and demographics of the educators, students, and technology designers. These aspects are often overlooked in research on technology. As the digital environment is still young, but growing increasingly more complex, it is important to address these social-cultural issues so that we can develop appropriate digital resources, environments, systems, and PD opportunities that help educators fully integrate digital resources into teaching and learning for all students.