Colin Rhinesmith

Community informatics, critical information studies, digital equity, engaged scholarship, infrastructure studies, participatory research, and information policy.

• Research Fellow, Quello Center for Media & Information Policy, Michigan State University, 2022-Present
• Senior Fellow, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, 2021-2022
• Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award, Association for Information Science & Technology, 2021 
• Provost’s Faculty Fellow for Research and Scholarship, Simmons University, 2021
• Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early Career Faculty (Finalist), Swearer Center for Public Service, Brown University, 2019 
• Mara Dole Innovation Award, School of Library and Information Science, Simmons University, 2017
• Faculty Associate, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, Harvard University, 2016-2018
• Faculty Research Fellow, Benton Foundation, 2015-2017
• Emerging Engagement Scholar, Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference, Penn State University, 2015

Colin Rhinesmith is visiting associate professor and director of the Digital Equity Action Research (DEAR) Lab in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Rhinesmith's areas of research include community informatics, engaged scholarship, and information policy. He is particularly interested in working with civil society organizations, government agencies, and philanthropic organizations to advance digital equity through community-engaged and participatory research projects. Previously, Rhinesmith was founder and director of the Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council. He has been a Google Policy Fellow and an Adjunct Research Fellow with New America's Open Technology Institute, Senior Fellow with the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, and Faculty Associate with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. Rhinesmith's research has been funded by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, and Comcast Corporation. Rhinesmith received his PhD in library and information science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

• Spring 2025 - Libraries Info and Society - IS510OA

Complete List of Publications

Reisdorf, B., & Rhinesmith, C. (2020). Digital inclusion as a core component of social inclusion. Social Inclusion, 8(2), 132-137.

Rhinesmith, C. (2016). Community media infrastructure as civic engagement. In E. Gordon & P. Mihailidis (Eds.), Civic Media: Technology, Design, Practice (pp. 481-500). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Strover, S., Whitacre, B., Rhinesmith, C., & Schrubbe, A. (2020). The digital inclusion role of rural libraries: Social inequities through space and place. Media, Culture & Society, 42(2), 242-259.

Rhinesmith, C. (2016). Digital inclusion and meaningful broadband adoption initiatives. Benton Foundation. https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/broadbandinclusion.pdf

Whitacre, B., & Rhinesmith, C. (2016). Broadband un-adopters. Telecommunications Policy, 40(1), 1-13.

Rhinesmith, C., Reisdorf, B., & Bishop, M. (2019). The ability to pay for broadband. Communication Research and Practice, 5(2), 121-138.

Rhinesmith, C. (2012). Free library hot spots: Supporting broadband adoption in Philadelphia’s low-income communities. International Journal of Communication, 6, 2529-2554.

Sweeney, M. E., & Rhinesmith, C. (2017). Creating caring institutions for community informatics. Information, Communication & Society, 20(10), 1482-1497.

Rhinesmith, C., & Stanton, C. L. U. (2018). Developing media literacy in public libraries: Learning from community media centers. Public Library Quarterly, 37(4), 420-440.

Wolske, M., Rhinesmith, C., & Kumar, B. (2014). Community informatics studio: Designing experiential learning to support teaching, research, and practice. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 55(2), 166-177. 

Rhinesmith, C. (September, 2024). Public libraries, digital equity coalitions, and the public good. Paper presented to the 52nd Research Conference on Communications, Information and Internet Policy (TPRC), September 19-21, Washington, DC, USA.

Bauer, J.M., Dagg, P.R., Rhinesmith, C., Byrum, G., & Schill, A. (September, 2023). A comprehensive framework to monitor, evaluate, and guide broadband and digital equity policy. Paper presented to the 51st Research Conference on Communications, Information and Internet Policy (TPRC), September 22-23, Washington, DC, USA.

Rhinesmith, C., & Santo, R. (November, 2022). Digital equity ecosystems measurement: A participatory design approach. Paper presented to the 20th Prato Community Informatics Research Network (CIRN) Conference, 9-11 November, Monash University, Prato, Italy.

Rhinesmith, C., Dutilloy, J., Kennedy, S., McCann, L., Ritzo, C., Bullen, G., & Stenberg S. (November, 2019). Co-designing an open source broadband measurement system with public libraries. Paper presented to the 17th Prato Community Informatics Research Network (CIRN) Conference, 6-8 November, Monash University, Prato, Italy.

Strover, S., Whitacre, B., & Rhinesmith, C. (2019, May). Technology, rural communities and the information environment: Using rural materialities to rethink digital inclusion. Paper presented to the International Communication Association Conference. Washington, DC, USA.

Rhinesmith, C., & Reisdorf, B. (presenter) (2017, September). Race and digital inequalities: policy implications. Paper presented at Capitol Hill Briefing at the Rayburn House Office Building, TPRC pre-conference event, September 7, Washington, DC, USA. (selected presentation.)

Strover, S., Whitacre, B., Rhinesmith, C., & Schrubbe, A. (2017, September). Libraries, the national digital platform, and inclusion. Paper presented to the 45th Research Conference on Communications, Information and Internet Policy (TPRC), September 8-9, Arlington, VA, USA.

Sweeney, M., & Rhinesmith, C. (January, 2017). Creating caring institutions for community informatics. Paper presented to the Association of Library and Information Science Education, 17-20 January, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Rhinesmith, C. (2015, October). Multiple case study analysis of US digital inclusion initiatives. Paper presented to the Partnership for Progress on the Digital Divide 2015 International Conference, 21-22 October, Scottsdale (Phoenix), Arizona, USA.

Wolske, M., & Rhinesmith, C. (2015, January). Championing social justice in LIS technology education: A critical interpretive sociotechnical framework. Paper presented to the 2015 Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Conference, Chicago, Illinois, USA.