Dr. Charles R. McClure, Krafft Professor of Information Studies and founder and Director of the Information Institute in Florida State University School of Information (iSchool), retires on January 8, 2021 after almost 21 years of service.

Previous to his tenure at FSU, McClure was a professor at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Oklahoma and earned the rank of Distinguished Professor at Syracuse University, School of Information Studies (one of only eight so named at the time). He also served as President of Information Management Consulting Services, Inc. He completed his Ph.D. in Information Studies at Rutgers University, earned a master’s degree in Library Science at the University of Oklahoma, a second master’s in American West History, and his bachelor’s in Spanish both at Oklahoma State University.

“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Dr. McClure for his support and hard work on behalf of the School of Information,” said Dr. Kathleen Burnett, Director of FSU iSchool. “He was instrumental in navigating our transition from a conventional library school to one of the leading iSchools in the country, particularly through his contribution to building a funded research profile that we can be proud of.”

As Director of the Information Institute, a research center at FSU, he worked with a number of colleagues successfully bringing approximately $9 million into the Institute in external research funding – in addition to the research awards he received at the University of Oklahoma and Syracuse University.  These projects addressed topics such as planning and evaluation of information services, federal information policies, impacts and deployment of broadband telecommunications, provision and assessment of digital services, and more. Organizations that funded these research projects include the National Science Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, the State Library of Florida, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the U.S. National Commission on Library and Information Science, the Association of Research Libraries, the U.S. Government Printing Office, the U.S. National Technical Information Service, the U.S. Department of Education, and numerous other local, state and Federal government agencies.

“The College is deeply indebted to Dr. McClure for his vision and leadership in building the Information Institute and making it a powerhouse for graduate education and research,” said Dr. Larry Dennis, Dean of FSU College of Communication and Information.

McClure was a prolific producer of books, refereed articles, conference papers, and research reports – with some 50 authored or co-authored books and hundreds of published articles, reports, etc. During his career, he was regularly listed as one of the most cited researchers in library/information science. He received the Library and Information Technology Association’s Lifelong Achievement Award in Information Science Research in 2019.

Over his career, McClure received numerous awards for his research and teaching from professional associations such as the Association of Library and Information Science Educators, the American Library Association, and the American Society for Information Science and Technology. He was also recognized as a Distinguished Alumni from the University of Oklahoma and Rutgers University.

When asked about his accomplishments over a 43-year career in academia, McClure responded that he was most proud of the various students; especially the doctoral students he directed and taught at FSU, the University of Oklahoma, and Syracuse University.  “Many of these students have gone on to be lead researchers, teachers, and administrators in schools of library/information science, in government, libraries, and in the private sector.”

McClure said he has enjoyed his career in academia and thanks all the people with whom he has had the pleasure of working and meeting.