About the Center

The Rob Kling Center for Social Informatics (RKCSI) was established at Indiana University Bloomington to provide a central home for the emerging field of social informatics.

Mission

The Rob Kling Center for Social Informatics is dedicated to supporting research into information technology and social change. Social Informatics (SI) refers to the body of research and study that examines the social aspects of computerization, including the role of information technology in social and organizational change, the uses of information technologies in social contexts, and the ways that the social organization of information technology is influenced by social forces and social practices. Social Informatics overlaps other areas including computer-mediated communication (CMC), information systems, information science, “Internet Research,” and even parts of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).

The Center organizes seminars for faculty and graduate students, hosts visiting scholars, publishes a working paper series, provides updated listings of relevant conferences, activities, and journals.

History

The Center for Social Informatics (CSI) had its beginnings around 1996 when Rob Kling joined Indiana University’s School of Library and Information Science (SLIS). Rob’s sudden, unexpected death in 2003 put Center activities, and the future of Social Informatics as a field of study at Indiana University, in a hold status. However, with new leadership, several other faculty, including some of Rob’s proteges, interested in teaching Social Informatics, and new students enrolling at Indiana University with an interest in learning about Social Informatics, the Center soon began a period of revival.

In 2004, to honor Rob's memory, the Center was officially renamed the Rob Kling Center for Social Informatics (RKCSI), and Indiana University's new School of Informatics & Computing (SoIC) officially became a co-sponsor of RKCSI. In 2009, The Kelley School of Business (KSB) became a co-sponsor. Although there is no physical location for the center, RKCSI activities are jointly sponsored by the three schools (SLIS, SoI, and KSB), emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of the field. Rob would have approved.

Directors & Staff

Co-Directors of the Rob Kling Center for Social Informatics are Alice Robbin of the School of Library & Information Science and Alan Dennis of the Kelley School of Business.

Our graduate student assistant is Jessamyn Sudhakaran.

Advisory Committee

The Rob Kling Center for Social Informatics is governed by an Advisory Committee comprised of faculty from various programs at Indiana University, including: