Directions:

Location:

Mary Church Terrell Main Library
148 W College St. Oberlin, OH 44074-1545

Parking:

The main visitor lot is the east Service Building lot, and the south row of the Carnegie Building lot for visitors to offices within that building.

Search Tools

Summon

Summon provides access to millions of sources of all types (books, articles, audio, videos, images, etc.) on nearly any subject. Summon searches many, but not all, Oberlin College Libraries resources; comprehensive research should include subject databases. It searches the full text of some, but not all, Oberlin books, including books that Oberlin only owns in print.

If you are looking for a specific book, film, or journal, use OBIS, our catalog. If you are looking for a specific journal article, use the Journal Finder. Summon also includes the collection of the Allen Memorial Art Museum as well as materials from other research centers and open access repositories.

Databases A-Z

The Databases A-Z list provides a complete alphabetical list of searchable databases accessible to you through the Oberlin College Libraries. The databases range from those that cover multiple subject areas, e.g. JSTOR or Web of Science, to more narrow research topics, e.g. SOCIndex.

They contain both citations and full text for ebooks, peer reviewed journals, newspapers, magazines, data sets, images, music, primary documents, and more. You will want to use them for finding credible and scholarly materials required for your college research.

If you are unsure which databases are best for your research topic try using the subject and type filters, consult a subject or course guide, Ask a Librarian, or make a research appointment.

OBIS Catalog

OBIS provides access to print and digital books, databases, audiovisual materials, journals, and course reserves. It is the best place to look up books, recordings, journals, and films by title to determine if you can access an item through Oberlin. To see if Oberlin has access to an individual article, use the journal list. OBIS makes it easier to search by subject heading than Summon does, but it does not index the full-text of any books.

In addition to books available at Oberlin through OBIS, patrons also have access to collections from a number of public, university, and college libraries in the state of Ohio through Oberlin College’s partnership with the OhioLink consortium and SearchOhio.

Journal Finder

The Journal Finder lists in one place every print and electronic journal, magazine, and newspaper available through both paid subscriptions and reputable open access platforms. Use the Journal Finder to see if Oberlin subscribes to these publications, to see if they're available online, or to compare coverage dates across databases or subscription services.

The Journal Finder will not allow you to search by article title to determine if Oberlin owns an item - you must search by publication title (e.g. Nature or The New York Times) and then navigate through the volume and issue and year provided by the citation. If you want to search by article title, search for the article from Summon.

OhioLINK Catalog

A virtual statewide library that displays information for items owned by OhioLINK libraries, a consortium of over 100 college, university, and research libraries in Ohio. Items described include books, journals and periodicals, audiovisual materials, sound recordings, electronic resources, government documents, archives and manuscripts, maps, and music scores.

The catalog provides bibliographic descriptions and indicates where copies are located and whether or not copies are available. The OhioLINK Central Catalog allows for delivery of requested items to a member library of your choice. Terrell Main Library is Oberlin’s pickup location for OhioLINK items. OhioLINK's design allows you to transfer a search from our local library catalog, OBIS, to the OhioLINK combined catalog with the touch of a button. Likewise, a search can just as easily transfer from OhioLINK or OBIS to the public library network Search Ohio.

WorldCat

WorldCat contains more than 43 million records describing books and other items owned by libraries around the world. You can search for popular books, music, CDs, and videos—all of the physical items you're used to getting from libraries. You can also discover digital content, such as downloadable audiobooks. Use InterLibrary Loan to order materials that you locate on WorldCat.

Research Guides

Course Guides

Course Guides are organized collections of resources created for the research and information needs of students in specific courses. Research strategies and library services are also included.

Source Type Guides

Oberlin College librarians have identified the best platforms for finding resources by source type, including newspapers, magazines, dissertations and theses, books, music, primary sources, and more. Some guides also provide search tips and techniques.

Subject Guides

Research guides are the gateway to library collections and resources. Created and maintained by Oberlin College & Conservatory reference and subject librarians, Guides by Subject are organized by their relevant subject areas to provide a detailed list of recommended scholarly sources, including: databases; internet and digital resources; and the libraries’ collections of books, journals, magazines, music, art, DVDs, etc.

Guides also help you develop search strategies, cite sources and manage bibliographic references, and lead to a librarian who can provide further assistance. Subject guides are displayed alphabetically.

Services & Amenities

Visiting Us

In order to best assist you during your visit, please Contact Us to make an appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome. We are located on the fourth floor of the Mary Church Terrell Main Library in the Goodrich Room. If you are visiting from out of town, take a look at the Visiting Oberlin page for information on accommodations, transportation, and other travel arrangements.

Reference Services

We welcome you to visit the College Archives in the Terrell Main Library, or to contact us by email using our online form. Researchers are welcome to schedule a meeting with an archivist to discuss their research project.

For more information about our reference services, including on-site research visits, please see the Policies section.

Reading Room and Classroom Amenities

The Archives and Terrell Special Collections reading room (Goodrich Room) was renovated in 2012 to provide a new reference desk, research tables, power outlets, data ports, wireless Internet, built-in exhibit cases, custom storage, and a state-of-the art classroom. The Forsythe Classroom was designed as a smart classroom for teaching with primary sources in the two departments. Classroom sessions must be arranged with the College Archivist or the Special Collections Librarian in advance.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching and learning with archival materials is an important part of the mission of the Oberlin College Archives. The Archives staff works closely with faculty and students to provide opportunities to use primary sources for course assignments or individual research projects.

The Class Projects section below provides resources for teaching with archival sources and examples of research or course projects that include materials from the Oberlin College Archives. Please contact the College Archives if you have any questions relating to the use of these materials for research projects, websites, or publications.

Class Projects

Digitizing American Feminisms

Permissions and Reproductions

The College Archives has photocopying facilities and it services photographic requests. For those wishing to use cameras to make copies, permission must be requested. See the Policies section for more information on photographic reproductions.

Exhibits and Outreach

The College Archives prepares annual physical exhibits for the 25th and 50th class reunions at Commencement, and theme exhibits for visiting groups, classes, and special events. A semi-permanent exhibit of objects from our collections is installed in the reading room. A robust program of digital collections and exhibits brings selected collections to life online. Many of these projects were collaborative in nature with faculty members, students, other departments of the library, and the Oberlin Heritage Center.

The College Archivist gives presentations related to Oberlin’s history and the College Archives’ holdings for visiting groups and special events. The Archives staff partners with campus offices and community groups, such as the Oberlin Heritage Center, to provide assistance for outreach programs, exhibits, and special events.

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Learn More About Our Libraries

Course Guides ? Course Guides are organized collections of resources created for the research and information needs of students in specific courses. Research strategies and library services are also included.

Source Type Guides ? Oberlin College librarians have identified the best platforms for finding resources by source type, including newspapers, magazines, dissertations and theses, books, music, primary sources, and more. Some guides also provide search tips and techniques.

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