Mission
The Rebecca Crown Library (RCL) is an integral part of the culture and community of Dominican University. Its mission is in harmony with the Dominican University Mission: to pursue truth, give compassionate service, and contribute to a more just and humane world. The mission of the Rebecca Crown Library mandates the academic support of students, faculty, and staff for resources and services. In addition to supplying print and electronic materials, services such as reference, circulation, interlibrary loan and instruction provide means through which the Dominican University Mission may be realized.
| Acquisitions | (708) 524-6882 | acq@dom.edu |
| Archives | (708) 524-5929 | archives@dom.edu |
| Circulation | (708) 524-6876 | circ@dom.edu |
| Government Docs | (708) 524-6872 | govdocs@dom.edu |
| Innovation Lab | (708) 524-6505 | innovationlab@dom.edu |
| Interlibrary Loan | (708) 524-6877 | interlib@dom.edu |
| Periodicals | (708) 524-6882 | periodicals@dom.edu |
| Recording Studio | (708) 524-6500 | innovationlab@dom.edu |
| Reference | (708) 524-6875 | reference@dom.edu |
| Reserves | (708) 524-6877 | reserves@dom.edu |
David Banas, Weekend Circulation Coordinator
(7708) 524-68776 / dbanas@dom.edu
David started the undergraduate program at DU in 2004. He graduated with BA in Psychology in 2008 and with a MSW in 2011. He has worked at the library as the weekend circulation coordinator since 2008 but started as a student worker in 2006. David has contributed nearly 20 years of his time to Dominican.
Professional &Research Interests
- Social Work
- Social Service
Ben De Biasio, Community Learning & Outreach Librarian
(708) 524-6870 / bdebiasio1@dom.edu
Ben De Biasio is the Community Learning & Outreach Librarian in the Rebecca Crown Library. He serves as the instruction coordinator and is primarily responsible for maintaining the library's online learning objects. He worked in K-12 education for nearly a decade before earning his MLIS from Dominican in 2020.
Professional & Research Interests
- Accessibility
- Assessment
- Information Literacy
- Instructional Design
- Metacognition
- Metaliteracy
Zachariah Claybaugh, Access & Reference Services Librarian
(708) 524-68774 / zclaybaugh@dom.edu
I'm the Access & Reference Services Librarian at Rebecca Crown Library. In this position, I lead our Access & Reference Services unit in providing top-notch service to the Dominican University community in the areas of circulation, interlibrary loan, and reference and research assistance. My other focus at DU is on advancing knowledge and use of open educational resources (OER), as well as working with his colleagues in Reference & Student Success Services on information literacy initiatives. Previously, I worked as the Student Success & Open Education Librarian at UConn, the OER & Digital Learning Librarian at Sacred Heart University, a middle school teacher in Albania and Florida, and an ESL instructor in Minnesota and Illinois. I have a bachelor’s in history from West Texas A&M University and master’s in Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies and library and information science from the University of Illinois.
Professional & Research Interests
- Scholarly Communications
- Open Education
- Library Instruction
- East European History
Gabrielle Frigo, Evening Circulation Coordinator
(7708) 524-6881 / gfrigo1@dom.edu
Gabrielle began her role as Evening Circulation Coordinator in 2023, after beginning her career serving the library as a Graduate Research Assistant. Gabrielle perceives her role as an opportunity to provide resources, expertise, and support to members of Dominican University and the broader community. She believes that students are the stewards of the future, and her responsibility is to provide the best assistance possible on their journeys.
Professional & Research Interests
- Digitization
- Information Preservation
- Open Educational Resources
- Museum & Academic Library Administration
Megan Hoppe, Part-Time Instruction Librarian
(7078) 524-6884 / mhoppe1@dom.edu
Megan began their position as part-time Instruction and Marketing Librarian in early 2024, after a year and a half of working at RCL as a graduate student worker. As an instruction librarian, they often visit undergraduate courses to share all of the wonderful ways the library can assist students with research and other projects. They also help lead the library's marketing initiative, specifically via running the RCL social media accounts. (Follow us on Instagram and TikTok!)
Professional & Research Interests
- Sewing and fashion/costume design (including historical garments)
- French language and literature
- Poetry/creative writing
Okiemute Inweh, Technology Education Coordinator
(7708) 524-6505 / oinweh@dom.edu
Okiemute joined the Rebecca Crown Library as the Technology Education Coordinator in November 2023. His role is to assist the Dominican University community in learning software and programs without the need for formal classes. He offers hiss services to faculty, staff, and students, providing support for programs such as Adobe Suite and Microsoft Office Suite whenever they are needed.
Professional & Research Interests:
- Digital Art
- Storytelling
- Creative Arts & Technology
Cathy Geers, Part-Time Reference Librarian
(708) 524-6875 / cgeers@dom.edu
Cathy joined the library as a Part-Time Reference Librarian in 2017. She is part of the interlibrary loan team and is the liaison for the Political Science and History Departments.
Professional & Research Interests
- Government Resources
Rebekkah LaRue, Technical Services Librarian
(708) 524-6872 / rlarue1@dom.edu
Rebekkah joined the Rebecca Crown Library as the Technical Services Librarian in 2023. She is responsible for the a lot of the behind the scenes aspects of the library, such as ordering new material, cataloging, and e-resource maintenance. She is the Subject Bibliographer to Computer Science, Mathematics, Social Work, Library and Information Science, Juvenile, and Young Adult.
Professional & Research Interests:
- Comics and Graphic Novels
- Critical Cataloging
- Diverse Voices
- Fine Art
Allison Liesz, Technical Services Coordinator
(708) 524-6882 / aliesz@dom.edu
Allison has been the Technical Services Coordinator at the Rebecca Crown Library since 2020. She helps manage the collection by cataloging, purchasing materials, and managing different shelves around the library. She hopes to help students find materials they can use successfully in their classes, while also encouraging students to explore other books that engage their interests. She is currently the Subject Bibliographer to Engineering, Philosophy, Theology, Spanish Language Materials, Young Adult Literature, and Juvenile Literature. She also manages the Rebecca's Reads shelves, which serve as the library's one stop shop for popular literature and reader advisory materials.
Professional & Research Interests
- Library Technology Services
- Art and Graphic Design
- LGBTQ+ Literature
- Young Adult Literature
Julia Burns Petrella, Part-Time Instruction Librarian
(708) 524-6884 / jpetrella@dom.edu
Julia joined the Rebecca Crown Library in March 2023. As a member of the instruction team, her work involves teaching about information literacy, research skills, and the many resources that the library has to offer. She also creates research guides and meets with students for one-on-one research consultations. Outside of work, Julia enjoys pizza, puzzles, singing, and spending time with her family.
Professional & Research Interests:
- LIS Curricula & Pedagogy
- Critical Librarianship
- Youth services & school librarianship
- Children's literature
Ricardo Rodriguez, Circulation Coordinator
(7078) 524-6877 / rrodriguez3@dom.edu
Ricardo has been with Dominican University since March 2019 and has worked for the Rebecca Crown Library as the Circulation Coordinator.
Professional & Research Interests:
- Young Adult literature
- Access Services/Public Services
- Customer Service
Phil Skurski, User Experience Librarian
(708) 524-6880 / pskurski1@dom.edu
Phil joined the Rebecca Crown Library as the User Experience Librarian in early 2024. They lead a team of student workers who staff the library's maker spaces. Phil hopes to actively engage students with the aim of improving their information and media literacy skills by providing access to the materials, equipment, support network, and creative spaces necessary for such development through instruction sessions, workshops, and other library programming. They are currently the Subject Bibliographer to Communications Arts & Sciences, and Nursing Departments.
Professional & Research Interests:
- Library & Education Technologies
- Film & Media Studies
- Music History
- Oral History/Storytelling
Steven Szegedi, Archivist & Special Collections Librarian
(708) 524-5929 / sszegedi@dom.edu
Steven has worked with Dominican University since 2006. In 2009 Steven was officially hired for his current role as Archivist and Special Collections Librarian. Contact Steven with your questions about the University, its faculty, staff, and students, and about campus life dating back to the late 1800s. He can also likely help you with questions about books, book arts, printing, incunabula, artwork, typesetting, and even building your very own clam-shell box to house your family's scrapbook.
Professional & Research Interests:
- International archival practice
- Book arts and printmaking
- Design
- Forgery
- The Industrial Age
- Replevin and the moral dimensions of preserving cultural heritage
Jingfeng Xia, University Librarian
(7078) 524-6602 / jxia@dom.edu
Jingfeng assumed the role of University Librarian at the Rebecca Crown Library in early 2024. In this capacity, he is responsible for supervising library faculty and staff and administering all areas of library operations.
Professional & Research Interests:
- Scholarly communication
- Electronic publishing
- Open access
History
Dominican University's first library, containing the collections brought from St. Clara College in Sinsinawa, was located in what is now the Phyllis Skiffington Noonan Reading Room on the second floor of Lewis Hall. Sister Mary Reparata Murray, who established the School of Library Science in 1930, was the first librarian.
The current Library, named after Rebecca Kranz Crown, the wife of Colonel Henry Crown, Chicago philanthropist, and the library's principal benefactor, opened in 1972. Major renovations, which created the light, open spaces one sees today, were completed in 2002.
