Rachael Elrod
Head, Education Library
Phone
352-273-2627
Address
Smathers Libraries
618 SW 12th Street
PO Box 117016
Gainesville FL 32611
About
Rachael Elrod is Head of the Education Library.
Research Interests
Higher Education
Education
- Ed.D. - Higher Education Administration, University of Florida
- MSLS - Library Science, University of Kentucky, 2008
- M.Ed. - Counseling Psychology, University of Louisville, 2002
- B.S. - Psychology and Sociology, Campbellsville University, 1999
Professional Appointments
- Associate University Library (with tenure), Associate Chair of Departmental Libraries & Director of the Education Library, University of Florida, 2020-present
- Assistant University Librarian, Head, Education Library, University of Florida, 2014 - 2020
- Assistant Professor, Reference and Instruction Librarian, The Citadel, 2010 - 2014
Activities and Honors
- Fulbright Specialist Program Roster, 2025-2028
- David Cohen/Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) Multicultural Award, 2024
- Laboy, L., Elrod, R., Aronson, K., & Kester, B. (2022). Room for improvement: Picture books featuring BIPOC characters, 2015-2020. Publishing Research Quarterly.
- APA (American Psychological Association) Librarian Conference Travel Award, 2017
- NEFLIN (Northeast Florida Library Information Network) Jim Morris Continuing Education Fund, 2015
- Servies
- Elected, Chair-Elect/Chair/Past-Chair, Library Faculty Assembly (LFA), 2024-2027
- Member, Branch Chairs, 2014-present
- Member, Joint Chairs, 2019-present
- Member, T&P Committee, 2025
- Member, Collections Committee, 2025
- ACRL/EBSS (Education and Behavioral Sciences Section)
- Chair, Nominating Committee, 2023-2024
- Elected, Vice-Chair, Chair, Past-Chair, 2020-2023
- Chair, Conference Program Planning Committee, 2021-2022
- Ex-officio, Nominating Committee, 2021-2022
- Elected, Member-at-Large, 2018-2020
- Chair, Reference Sources and Services Committee, 2016-2020
Selected Grants
Middle Grade and Young Adult Books with Black, Indigenous People, and People of Color: Where Are They?
Funding Agency
- Institute of Museum and Library Services
Project Period
- 2021-2025
Award Amount
- $427,100
Research Students' Information Choices: Determining Identity and Judging Credibility in Digital Spaces
Funding Agency
- Institute of Museum and Library Services
Project Period
- 2016
Award Amount
- $491,822
Florida and Puerto Rico Digital Newspaper Project - Phase II
Funding Agency
- National Digital Newspaper Project
Project Period
- 2015
Award Amount
- $71,168
Developing a 3D Printing Education Resources Collection
Funding Agency
- Smathers Libraries Strategic Opportunities Grant,
Project Period
- 2015
Award Amount
- $4,975
Selected Publications
- Valle, N., Elrod, R., Laboy, L., & Gallagher, E. (2025). Critical information literacy in action: Using a free online collection tool to enhance educators' confidence in building diverse book collections. Information and Learning Sciences.
- Elrod, R., Koppitch, M., Laboy, L., & Kester, B. (2024). Mind the gaps: Exploring diversity in school library collections. Knowledge Quest, 52(4), 46-52.
- Laboy, L., Elrod, R., Aronson, K., & Kester, B. (2023). Room for improvement: Picture books featuring BIPOC characters, 2015-2020. Publishing Research Quarterly, 39. 47-60.
- Buhler, A., Brannon, B., Cataldo, T., Cyr, C., Faniel, I., Silipigni Connaway, L, Kasman Valenza, J., Elrod, R., & Cyr, C. (2022). How real is real enough? Participant feedback on a simulation used for information-seeking behavior research. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 55(1), 191-207.
- Elrod, R., Kester, B., & Spears, L. (2021). Library renovations and student behaviors: A longitudinal case study. Journal of Learning Spaces, 10(3), 78-96.
- Cyr, C., Tobin Cataldo, T., Brannon, B., Buhler, A., Faniel, I., Silipigni Connaway, L., Kasman Valenza, J., Elrod, R., & Putnam, S. (2021). Backgrounds and behaviors: Which students successfully identify online resources in the face of container collapse. First Monday, 26(3).
- Elrod, R. (2021). "Walking blindly into it": Library administrators and renovations. Journal of Library Administration, 61(3), 373-385.
- Cataldo, T., Buhler, A., Faniel, I., Brannon, B., Silipigni Connaway, L., Cyr, C., Langer, K., Hood, E., Valenza, J. Elrod, R., Graff, R., Putnam, S. & Howland, S. (2020). Mixed methods data collection using simulated Google results: Reflections on the methodology of a point-of-selection behaviour study. Information Research, 25(4).
- Silipigni Connaway, L., Valenza, J., Cyr, C., Cataldo, T., Buhler, A., Faniel, I., Elrod, R., Graff, R., Putnam, S., Brannon, B., Hood, E. & Langer, K. (2019). Authority, context, and containers: Student perceptions and judgments when using Google for school work. IFLA Conference Paper.
- Hines, A., Elrod, R., Huet A., Ewing, S., & Freund, L. (2019). Putting the audience in charge of the message: Assessment of student-generated public relations campaigns in an academic library. Marketing Libraries Journal, 2(3), 65-79.
- Cataldo, T., Langer, K., Buhler, A., Putnam, S., Elrod, R., Faniel, I., Connaway, L., Cyr, C., Brannon, B., Valenza, J., Hood, E., & Graff, R. (2019). Science and news: A study of students' judgements of online scientific news information. Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship, 93.
- Elrod, R. (2019). "I didn't realize that I needed books that often": A narrative inquiry approach to understanding student experiences during the temporary closure of a branch library. Journal of Learning Spaces, 8(1), 10-18.
- Buhler, A., Faniel, I., Brannon, B., Cyr, C., Cataldo, T., Connaway, L., Valenza, J., Elrod, R., Graff, R., Putnam, S. R., Hood, E. M., & Langer, K. (2019). Container collapse and the information remix: Students' evaluations of scientific research recast in scholarly vs. popular sources. ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) Conference Paper, Cleveland, OH.
- Elrod, R., & Mielish, J. (2018).Strategic partnerships: Thinking outside the administrative box. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 42(9), 617-622.
- Elrod, R., Haynes, C., Cade, S., Forrest, A., Loch, E., Schuckman, G. (2018). No cookie cutter approach: Supervision in community college student affairs. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 43(2), 149-152.
- Elrod, R. (2016). Tinkering with teachers: The case for 3D printing in the Education Library. Education Libraries.
- Elrod, R. & Appling, B. (2015). Establishing a state-level open-access journal: The case of South Carolina Libraries. Against the Grain, 27(2), 46-48.
- Elrod, R., Wallace, E., & Sirigos, C. (2012). Teaching information literacy: A review of 100 syllabi. The Southeastern Librarian, 60(2), 8-15.