Deaths: Warren Webb, UIC Library

Warren Webb was “intelligent, city-wise, friendly and humorous.” Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin/UIC Photo Services (click on image for larger file size)

By Linda Naru

Warren Webb, 62, who retired in 2012 as library technical services systems specialist for the UIC Library, died June 30.

A 1975 UIC graduate in history, he was a student employee at the library and joined the permanent staff in 1978.

He worked in the back-of-the-house cataloging operations, where the links that connect bibliographic information and the researcher are created.

During his career, library catalogs changed from cards to online, and from descriptive cataloging to metadata. Through it all, his colleagues said, his dedication to accuracy and helpful technology ensured that library users could find the books and articles needed for class assignments, teaching and research.

“Warren epitomized UIC as a student and colleague — intelligent, city-wise, friendly and humorous,” said Ed Valauskas, editor of First Monday, who met Webb when they 
were undergraduates on campus.

Among library staff, Warren’s 
encyclopedic interests earned him the nickname “Internal Reference Desk.”

“Warren was as knowledgeable about the music of Sun Ra as about the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, ready to discuss the latest science fiction novel, most arcane movie, or the latest scientific discovery described in the pages of the recent issue of Nature,” Valauskas said.

Funeral services have been held, but family and friends are planning a memorial on campus in August.