Collections Statement

Library collections at Oberlin College support the academic curriculum and sustain faculty and student research and artistic creation. 

The College’s curriculum is by nature exceptionally broad and diverse and includes a substantial number of interdisciplinary courses. Yet it also offers many advanced classes that are relatively specialized and require extensive research. Additionally, faculty are expected to be active in research and publishing or artistic performance and creation. To support this diversity of curriculum and research needs, Oberlin College Libraries (OCL) works within its budget to acquire or make accessible the resources our community needs. We strive to be flexible in our management of library collections, acquiring as needed and embracing the notion of collections as a service, always seeking creative ways to ensure that our users have the materials they need when they need them.

Working on the modern principle that no library can (or should) store all the resources its users might need, the libraries focus on providing access to resources as they are needed and making the most of the significant shared collection opportunities available to us through regional collaborative agreements with OhioLINK and the Five Colleges of Ohio. Library staff work with faculty and students to make requested materials available in a variety of ways, adding new items to the collections on a case-by-case basis, with continued relevance to the curriculum being a significant factor in the decision-making process. We also rely on Interlibrary Loan, document delivery, leased content, and other alternative models, such as demand-driven and evidence-based acquisitions to give our users timely access to resources. OCL is a member of the state-wide OhioLINK consortium, which provides access to more than 44 million books and other library materials from more than 100 academic libraries in Ohio. In addition to providing a print lending service throughout the state, OhioLINK also leverages the collective buying power of its membership to acquire and provide consortium-wide access to a broad range of electronic resources, including many research databases, electronic journal articles, e-books, and digital images, videos, and sound recordings.

A significant amount of the Oberlin College Libraries’ acquisitions budget pays for our OhioLINK access. With the remaining funds the libraries acquire physical and electronic monographs, scores, video and audio recordings, and subscriptions to print and electronic journals and database collections that facilitate faculty, department, or interdisciplinary research or build upon specific areas of collection strengths that support long-term teaching and research interests. Formats best suited to the intended use are acquired, with electronic versions of scholarly content preferred to ease space concerns and deliver resources to our users more efficiently. Cost, accessibility, and availability at OhioLINK and peer libraries are always considered when making acquisition decisions. Finally, library resources are routinely assessed for their continued relevance to the collection to ensure that the libraries make efficient use of space and continue to provide effective, diverse, and vibrant collections of resources for our students and faculty.

For more on distinctive collections, including Special Collections, College Archives, and the Institutional Repository, please visit their webpages.

This statement was reviewed and adopted by the Oberlin College Libraries Collection Management Group in September 2022.