As Head of Discovery and User Experience, Rachael Cohen serves as the Product Owner for the user experience of IUCAT (IU's shared systemwide library catalog), OneSearch@IU, and the IU Libraries' website search. This work includes activities such as collecting and prioritizing enhancement requests, drafting technical requirements, testing new features, and validating code releases.
Rachael’s research interests include user experience, search query analysis, and discovery tools. She has published and presented nationally on topics related to these interests. Her recent publications and presentations include:
- Galasso, M., Cohen, R., & Pusnik, A. (2019). A Cascading Approach to Training Discovery. Reference Services Review. 47(1), pp 60-72. [Peer-reviewed]
- Cohen, R., & Pusnik, A. (2018). Measuring Query Complexity in Web-scale Discovery: A Comparison between Two Academic Libraries. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 57(4). [Peer-reviewed]
- Cohen, R., & Pusnik, A. (2018). Library Analytics: Shaping the Future — Applying Data Analysis: Demonstrate Value, Shape Services, and Broaden Information Literacy. Against the Grain, 30(1). [Invited]
- Cohen, R., & Nay, L. (2020, March). Gaming the (Training) System: Gamification of E-Resource Training for Reference Students and Staff. ER&L 2020, Austin, TX.
Rachael also serves as Bloomington Faculty Council Parliamentarian (2020-2024) and as Indiana University Faculty Council Parliamentarian (2020-2024).
She received a dual Master’s degree in Library Science and Information Science from IU Bloomington in 2012, and earned her B.S. in Educational Media and Technology from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN. Prior to joining the IU Libraries, Rachael served as the Director of the Grand Forks, North Dakota Air Force Base Library.