Meet the Librarians
Gary Newhouse, M.A.L.S.
Gary Newhouse, winner of the 2003 Illinois Academic Librarian of the Year Award, is the Dean of Library and Media Services at Oakton Community College. As such, his responsibilities include administration of the college’s library, media production and distribution, the Koehnline Museum of art, alternative education and distance learning services.
Gary has held the office of President of NILRC (a consortium of community college, college and university libraries), was a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Illinois Cooperative Collection Management Program, the Steering Committee of the North Suburban Higher Education Consortium, and the Executive Committee of the Illinois Association of College and Research Libraries.
Gary is interested in books, carpentry, gardens, philosophy, neuro-psychology, and music. His favorite music includes blues, tunes from the 1960s, and folk. In fact, he plays in the local band, The Folktons, along with several of his colleagues from Oakton.
Email: garyn@oakton.edu
Sherrill Weaver, M.A., Sp.LIS., Ed.D.
Sherrill Weaver, Professor and the Chair of the Library Services Department, serves as the Librarian for Online Resources. She teaches research skills and works with Oakton Library faculty and staff to create the library’s online resources. Sherrill is currently the Past-President of NILRC (a consortium of community college, college and university libraries).
Sherrill has bachelors and masters degrees in English from Northern Michigan University, masters and specialists degrees in Library and Information Science from Indiana University, and a doctoral degree in Adult and Continuing Education from National-Louis University.
Her reading passions are political history/biography and mysteries.
Email weaver@oakton.edu
Julia Fraas, M.L.S., M.A.Ed.
Julia Fraas, Professor of Library Services and Librarian for Curriculum and Instruction, has a Master of Library Science from the University of Missouri and a Master of Adult Education from National-Louis University. She has been at Oakton since Fall 2005 and previously worked at the National-Louis University Library and several corporate libraries. Julia loves working with Oakton’s students and has received rave reviews for her classes and workshops. In her free time, Julia likes reading and spending time with family and friends.
Email: jfraas@oakton.edu
Jane Malik, M.L.S.
Jane Malik, Associate Professor of Library Services and the Librarian for Collections, has been at Oakton since 1997 and is a past winner of the North Suburban Library System (NSLS) Academic Library Staff Member of the Year. She has a Master of Library Science degree from Pratt Institute (NY) and a B.A. in English from St. Peter’s College (NJ). Jane was an ingénue in her high school theater program, with roles in Guys and Dolls and Barefoot in the Park. Jane has a very long list of favorite books, including A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Kite Runner, The Daring Book for Boys, The Daring Book for Girls, and Not Quite What I was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs. If Jane was stranded on a desert island, what would she like to take with her? Diet Coke and People Magazine.
Email: jmalik@oakton.edu
Rose Novil, M.L.S.
Rose Novil is a Professor of Library Services and the Librarian for Instruction and Reference Services at the Ray Harstein Campus in Skokie. Rose has been at Oakton since 2001 and worked at National Louis University prior to coming to Oakton. She is an active member of the Judaica Library Network of Metropolitan Chicago, and is the organizer of the Next Book Series at the Skokie campus. Additionally, Rose is a doctor of nutrition and naturopathy and is interested in researching new developments in the field of anti-aging and complementary health.
Email: rnovil@oakton.edu
Swarna Wickremerante, M.L.S.
Swarna Wickremerante is an Adjunct Librarian for Cataloging and Reference and Instruction. She received degrees from Sri Lanka University, and Oxford, England, and became a librarian while working at Harvard from Simmons College. Swarna’s first career was teaching math and economics in schools in England and Sri Lanka. Her interests include reading, writing, the study of meditation techniques, and herbal medicine. Swarna’s book, Buddha in Sri Lanka : remembered yesterdays, is available at both campuses.
Email: swickrem@oakton.edu
Lucinda Angell,M.A., M.B.A.
Lucinda Angell is an Adjunct Librarian for Reference and Instruction Services. She has a Master of Library Science and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Iowa. She has a BSGED in Organizational Behavior from Northwestern University. She recently graduated from Oakton’s Health Information Technology program. She has been at Oakton since Fall 2006. Lucinda has contributed two articles for Oakton’s Mosaic. She is webmaster for United Protestant Church of Grayslake. She also provides cat of the month publicity flyers for Save-A-Pet.
Email: langell@oakton.edu
Robin Dillow, M.L.I.S., M.A., M.P.A.
Robin Dillow is an Adjunct Librarian in Reference and Instruction Services. She works with the government information collection and as a team member in the digitization of the library’s historic collection. She has an interest in the social sciences, environmental policy, and food security. She volunteers in the animal welfare community and as an English as a Second Language instructor.
Email: rdillow@oakton.edu
Richard Kong, M.S.I.
Richard Kong is an Adjunct Librarian in Reference and Instruction Services with added social media responsibilities. Additionally, he teaches workshops for the Center for Professional Development at Oakton. Richard also serves as a librarian at the Skokie Public Library, where he manages the public computer lab, teaches technology classes, coordinates adult programs, and contributes to various technology-related projects. Richard received his Master of Science in Information from the University of Michigan.
Email: rkong@oakton.edu
Carol Moulden, M.L.S.
Carol Moulden, an Adjunct Librarian at Oakton, is the Director of the National Louis University Library. Carol has been at NLU for more than thirty years and received NLU’s Excellence in Service award for 2005-2006. Carol has been involved with the American Library Association’s Distance Learning Section from its inception, serving as chair in 2000-2001 and currently serving on the Membership and Events Committee. In January 2007, Carol was a guest on Sarah Long’s series of podcasts which explores the world of libraries through interviews with key library figures and commentary on issues that matter to libraries.
Email: cmoulden@oakton.edu
Ted Remus, M.L.I.S.
Ted Remus is an Adjunct Librarian in Reference and Instruction Services. He is a member of the Hunger in Our Communities wiki team and has worked tirelessly to weed the Library’s collection. Ted holds a Library Media, Illinois Type 10 Certification, and is the Librarian at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago. Ted previously held positions in Information Technology and Systems Management. He holds an undergraduate degree in music and has a wide range of interests, including bicycling and square dancing. Ted also enjoys edgy comedy like Kathy Griffin and Reno 911.
Email: tremus@oakton.edu
Jennifer Schwartz, M.L.S., M.A.
Jennifer Schwartz is an Adjunct Librarian for Reference and Instruction Services. She works primarily at the Ray Hartstein Campus, where she shared responsibility for the Next Book series. Additionally, she is a team member in the digitization of the library’s historic collection. She received her M.A. in History from The Ohio State University and her M.L.S. from Pratt Institute. When she is away from work, she loves to read to her two kids and watch tasteless television shows.
Email: schwartz@oakton.edu
Rebecca Sedam, M.L.S.
Rebecca Sedam is an Adjunct Librarian for Reference and Instruction Services. She also serves as a librarian at Morton Grove Public Library, where she contributes regularly to the Library’s blogs. Rebecca’s previous positions included Lewis Library Instruction Coordinator and Economics Bibliographer at Loyola University in Chicago.
Email: rsedam@oakton.edu
MaryLou Stampfl, M.L.S.
MaryLou Stample is an Adjunct Librarian in Reference and Instruction Services and a member of the Hunger in Our Communities wiki team. Additionally, MaryLou works full-time as the McHenry Middle School Learning Center Director serving almost 900 students and more than seventy staff members. Because of her current position as a school librarian, she primarily reads young adult literature, but has a stack of adult books ready and waiting when she finally has a little spare time.
Email: mstampfl@oakton.edu
Uri Toch, M.L.I.S., M.A.
Uri Toch is an Adjunct Librarian in Reference and Instruction Services with additional responsibilities in marketing. Uri is a full-time Librarian at the College of Lake County, the former Corporate and Small Business Liaison Librarian Schaumburg Township District Library, and a former Adjunct Instructor at Dominican University’s School of Library and Information Science. Uri has published and presented widely during his career as a librarian. He also holds a graduate degree in Geography and Environmental Science.
Email: utoch@oakton.edu
Ruth Whitney, M.L.S.
Ruth Whitney is an Adjunct Librarian for Reference and Instruction Services. Ruth teaches many of the Library classes and workshops and has responsibilities for collection development. Ruth was featured in the Oakton Occurrence during the spring of 2009, where she was asked why she chose this career path. Her answer: I think it helps to have a curious nature and to be interested in all kinds of subjects if you want to work as a reference librarian. Ruth majored in American Studies as an undergraduate and uses this background in her work with students. Her interests include gardening with native plants, and music – eclectic music – Ramsey Lewis, Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal, the Indigo Girls, Broadway musicals and classical music, especially chamber music.
Email: rwhitney@oakton.edu
