Staff Directory

Research Consultation

Schedule an appointment for a one-on-one research consultation.  Monday-Friday appointments are scheduled via Zoom or in person. Typically, Wednesday appointments are held via Zoom only. If you need to meet outside of available appointment times, please email Rachel.Trnka@ucf.edu.

Biography

Rachel joined UCF libraries as an Instruction and Engagement Librarian in 2019 after working as an English faculty member at state colleges and universities in Florida and Oregon. She has a PhD in English from the University of Oregon, an MA in Liberal Studies from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and an MLIS from Wayne State University. Her research interests include information literacy instruction, online pedagogy, and library history.

Rachel is the primary librarian for these colleges & programs:

  • Nicholson School of Communication, within the College of Sciences (college lead):
    • Communications

and the secondary librarian for these programs:

  • Nicholson School of Communication, within the College of Sciences:
    • Advertising and Public Relations
    • Film & Mass Media
    • Interactive Entertainment
    • Journalism
    • Media Production and Management

Research Guides

Selected Scholarship

Book Chapters

Trnka, R.E., Miller, K., & Kauffman, K.F. (2024). Two academic libraries, one study: Using Project Outcome for assessment and advocacy across partner institutions. In Assessment and advocacy: Using Project Outcome for academic libraries. Association of College & Research Libraries. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ucfscholar/1298/

Refereed Articles

Miller, K., Kaufmann, K.F., & Trnka, R.E. (2023). Measuring outcomes: Information literacy instruction assessment in a cross-institutional study. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 49(6).  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2023.102796

Trnka, R.E. (2023). Tracing the history of discourses on professionalism in the “sister professions” of librarianship and social work in the United States. Library & Information History, 39(1). https://doi.org/10.3366/lih.2023.0136

Trnka, R.E. (2023). The role of aesthetics in redesigning accessible information literacy modules. Advances in Online Education: A Peer-Reviewed Journal, 1(3). https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ucfscholar/1179/

Edford, R. (2022). Figuring embedded librarianship: An analysis of the embedded journalist metaphor in the professional discourse. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 29(3), 244-262. https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2022.2122854.

Edford, R., & Avila, S. (2022). The one size does not fit all approach: Case studies in modeling embedded librarianship. Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning, 16(2), 94-107. https://doi.org/10.1080/1533290X.2022.2112800

Edford, R. (2019). Testimony, objectivism, and poetic form in Charles Reznikoff’s Holocaust. Interactions, 28(1), 13-26. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ucfscholar/1302/

Edford, R. (2018). Revisiting A Handmaid’s Tale in an age of post-truth politics. Relevant Rhetoric: A New Journal of Rhetorical Studies, 8. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ucfscholar/1303/

Edford, R. (2014). Forms of identity in Gwendolyn Brooks’s World War II poems. College Literature, 40(4), 471-493. https://doi.org/10.1353/lit.2014.0052

Edford, R. (2007). The elegance of The Elegant Universe: Unity, beauty, and harmony in Brian Greene’s popularization of Superstring Theory. Public Understanding of Science, 16(4), 441-454. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662505061882

Refereed Conference Proceedings

Edford, R. (2021). Lights, camera, action: Tips and tricks for librarian videographers and video managers. Charleston Conference Proceedings, 2020 (pp.374-383). https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12470905

Non-Refereed Articles

Edford, R. (2021, Fall). Tips for teaching in an active learning classroom (ALC). Association of College & Research Libraries Instruction Section Newsletter, 38(2), 2. https://acrl.ala.org/IS/wp-content/uploads/is_fall2021.pdf

Edford, R. (2019). Peer review of teaching for instruction librarians: An annotated bibliography. Codex: The Journal of the Louisiana Chapter of the Association of College & Research Libraries, 5(3), 59-74. http://journal.acrlla.org/index.php/codex/article/view/167

Book Reviews

Trnka, R.E. (2024). Review of Integrating pop culture into the academic library, by M.E. Johnson, T.C. Weeks, and J.P. Davis. Journal of New Librarianship, 9(1), 125-128. https://doi.org/10.33011/newlibs/15/13

Selected Service Activities

Service to the Profession – International

  • Marketing Libraries Journal, Editorial Board Member (2020 – present)    

Service to the Profession – National

American Library Association (ALA)

  • Library History Round Table (LHRT)                      
    • Executive Committee, Member at Large (elected) (2025 – present)
    • News & Notes Committee, Member (2023 – present)
    • Research Committee, Member (2024 – present)
    • Communications Committee, Member at Large (2023 – 2025)
    • Justin Winsor Library History Essay Award Committee (2023 – 2025)      
      • Chair (2024 – 2025)
      • Member (2023 – 2024)
  • Publications Committee, Member (Committee Associate) (2019 – 2021)
    • Carnegie Whitney Grant Subcommittee, Member (2020 – 2021)

Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL)

  • 2023 Conference Committee
    • Scholarships Committee, Member (2021 – 2023)
    • Lightning Talk Committee, Member (2021 – 2023) 
  • Instruction Section, Teaching Methods Committee (2019– 2024)
    • Secretary (2019 – 2020)

Communications in Information Literacy (CIL) Peer Reviewer (2024 – present)

New Review of Academic Librarianship Peer Reviewer (invited) (2023)

Service to the Profession – State/Regional

Florida Association of College & Research Libraries (FACRL)

  • Programming Committee, Member (2023 – 2024)
  • Board, Board Member at Large, Central Region (elected) (2022 – 2023)    
  • Nominating Committee, Member (2022 – 2023)      
  • Conference Program Committee                                                                   
    • Co-chair (2022 – 2023)
    • Conference moderator (2022)
    • Member (2021 – 2022)

Florida Ask-A-Librarian Quality Assurance Workgroup, Member (2020 – 2022)  

Florida Ask-A-Librarian Canned Message Review Committee, Member (2019)

Service to the University

University of Central Florida

  • Ad Hoc Faculty Senate Civil Discourse Committee, Member (2024 – present)      
  • Library Advisory Committee, Member (2024 – present)     
  • In-Unit Professional Development Program (PDP) Committee, Member (2024)               
  • Faculty Excellence Advisory Committee, Member (2021 – 2023)  
  • Student Scholar Symposium, Judge (2021, 2023 – 2025)    
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