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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Community Informatics Initiative (CII)?
- What is community inquiry?
- Can students earn a degree in Community Informatics?
- How do I get a certificate in Community Informatics?
- Why study community informatics?
- How do I participate in the Community Informatics Initiative?
- Is there financial aid for students who wish to study community informatics?
- What courses are required for students pursuing an MS with a CI focus?
- Do you have to take courses in any order?
- Are CI courses available for LEEP students?
- Are there current students who I can talk to about graduate school in LIS?
- What kinds of employment opportunities exist for CI students?
- What are some examples of projects that CII is involved in?
What is the Community Informatics Initiative (CII)?
The Community Informatics Initiative (CII) is a research, public engagement, and teaching center devoted to enabling communities through information and communication technologies. This initiative seeks to build innovative community networks, community technology centers, software and library services through collaboration with campus, and local, national and international communities. Part of this initiative is the curriculum within the Graduate School of Library and Information Science that allows students to learn through active engagement: for example, in literacy and digital storytelling projects with after-school programs in the Champaign Public Schools; health, youth, arts, and participatory democracy programs in Chicago’s Paseo Boricua neighborhood, and community technology centers in East St. Louis (Illinois) and São Tomé, West Africa.
What is community inquiry?
Community inquiry is based on a model of inquiry-based learning: Ask Investigate, Create, Discuss and Reflect. That is, learning takes place in everyday life when people recognize a problem, mobilize resources, engage actively to resolve it, collaborate, and reflect on the experience. From a community inquiry perspective, the Community Informatics Program aims to: take collaborative action with communities to create knowledge and technology connected to the values, history, and lived experiences of community members; engage with communities in ways that are just, democratic, participatory, and open-ended; and integrate theory and practice in an experimental and critical manner.
Can students earn a degree in Community Informatics?
A specialization in Community Informatics will not appear on school transcript records. Students with a focus in CI will earn an MS in Library and Information Science. But students can apply for Certificate in Community Informatics from GSLIS and their completion of the twelve credits will be verified by the School . The certificate itself may help in certain employment situations.
How do I get a certificate in Community Informatics?
The master's degree program requires 40 hours of graduate study, including two GSLIS core courses, "LIS 501: Information Organization and Access" and "LIS 502: Libraries, Information, and Society." Students pursuing the CI certificate take 12 hours of graduate study courses focusing on CI. LIS590CO Community Informatics (4 hours)is required. Students take an additional 8 hours of elective CI courses to complete the program. Students choose electives that meet their interests and needs. Contact Sharon Irish for more information.See the master's degree program information for rules governing how the remaining hours in the master’s program may be earned. Refer to the LEEP Online Education information for the specific requirements for the online degree program. If they have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, non-degree seeking students may also take CI courses as community credit students and thus also obtain the certificate.
Why study community informatics?
The study of community informatics enables information professionals to more clearly understand relationships between communities and their technologies, and how to work with community members to address their information needs. This field is especially suited for those concerned with the experiences of underserved groups in society, and interested in careers that give the opportunity to contribute to their communities.
How do I participate in the Community Informatics Initiative?
Courses in communitv informatics are open to all qualified students across campus. We also sponsor speaker series, brown bag events, and workshops. There are also research and volunteer opportunities. You can learn more about all of those by joining the CII-Announce listserv, by participating in CI Club activities, by checking the calendar on the homepage, or through exploring this site. When applying to GSLIS be sure and indicate your interest in community informatics. Once you have been admitted to GSLIS, you will receive information about how to apply for financial aid.
Is there financial aid for students who wish to study community informatics?
The Community Informatics Initiative is funded primarily by grants. As of Fall 2009, we are working hard to write and obtain more grants so that we may continue to support students and their work in community informatics. While we are pleased to have received funding from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services for past student support as well as the University for faculty research, those grants will end shortly. We continually seek funding to support assistantships, fellowships, and other configurations of tuition waivers and/or stipends that are open to both master’s and doctoral students. Check the Graduate Student Clearinghouse for positions on campus.
What courses are required for students pursuing an MS with a CI focus?
The master's degree program requires 40 hours of graduate study, including two GSLIS core courses, “LIS 501: Information Organization and Access” and “LIS 502: Libraries, Information, and Society.” Students pursuing the CI certificate take 12 hours of graduate study courses focusing in CI. LIS590CO Community Informatics (4 hours) is required. Students take an additional 8 hours of elective CI courses to complete the program. Students choose electives that meet their interests and needs. Contact Sharon Irish for more information.
Additional recommended courses can be found here.
The GSLIS worksheet for selecting courses is another helpful resource.
Do you have to take courses in any order?
No. CI courses do not need to be taken in any particular order. It is recommended that students take 590CO: Community Informatics first, before or in conjunction with CI electives. However, it is not required.
Are CI courses available for LEEP students?
Yes. CI courses are available to LEEP students each semester. There are also CI courses offered in Chicago on-site at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC) that both LEEP students and on-campus are able to attend (though none during 2009-10.).
. For additional information about the LEEP Program, please see the following link: http://www.lis.illinois.edu/programs/leep/index.html
Are there current students whom I can talk to about graduate school in LIS?
Yes, CI maintains a list of current CI students who are eager to share their experiences with prospective students and be peer mentors for admitted students. Contact Sharon Irish for more information.
What kinds of employment opportunities exist for CI students?
Recipients of LIS degrees with a CI certificate may work in a variety of settings such as public and school libraries, non-profit organizations, cultural heritage groups and municipal governments as librarians, youth media instructors, researchers and much more.
What are some examples of projects that CII is involved in?
CI students and researchers work on a variety of projects with communities in three main geographic areas: East St. Louis, the Champaign-Urbana area, and Chicago's Paseo Boricua neighborhood. At each project site, community members work with students and researchers to determine community goals and develop initiatives to meet them. Examples include:
- Creating an archive in East St. Louis of the collection of Katherine Dunham, an important anthropologist, dancer and activist: Katherine Dunham Archives
- Installing computers at public access sites where residents can receive free training and Internet access: East St. Louis
- Teaching middle school students how to create a podcast about an issue in their community: Urbana Middle School
- Providing after-school tutoring for at-risk youth and connecting their families to resources in the community: BT Washington After School Program
- Implementing software to help Pre-K children learn basic math, language and computer skills: SQUEAK
- Developing curriculum for high school students that encourages critical thinking and action toward social justice: PACHS
- For more information, visit the CII Research page.