Social Informatics of Digital Libraries

In this course we explore the emerging area of social informatics and its application to digital libraries. The emerging multidisciplinary field called "social informatics" attempts to put information activities and institutions in their larger social context, addressing the complex interaction of information and society. We consider such issues as the social context of information; the role of information in social reproduction and transformation; and the interaction among information activities, practices, artifacts, institutions, organizations, and communities of practice.

Our approach is three-pronged: we read some key fundamental works in social theory; we investigate some related areas of social research such as situated action; and we consider Digital Libraries (DLs). DLs give us a way to consider the implications of these conceptual approaches for information behavior and institutions, and for research into them; and the conceptual bases give us a framework for talking about the social aspects of DLs.

This course is aimed primarily at doctoral students from SIMS and related units. Master's students will be admitted with the permission of the instructor.

The course will require extensive reading, active participation in discussions, and a term paper.