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.

Rules for Assigned Carrels

All library materials left in the carrel must be checked out, including material from branch libraries.

Bring the materials you wish to leave in your carrel to the circulation desk for checkout and inform the desk attendant that you intend to leave the items in your carrel. They will not desensitize the materials, to deter others from leaving the library with materials checked out to you.

To take a book from your carrel out of the library, bring the book and your ID to the circulation desk for desensitizing.

You may leave other materials, such as personal books or books you’ve borrowed through OhioLINK or ILL, in your carrel, but the library cannot guarantee their security. You are responsible for all books checked out to you, and may be charged replacement fees for books lost from your carrel.

Library staff regularly check carrels for materials that are not checked out. If an item is repeatedly found without having been checked out, it will be removed from the carrel and reshelved. Library staff will not remove non-Oberlin owned library materials from assigned (checked out) carrels.

Assignees have first claim to their carrels, although assignment does not bar the temporary use of a carrel by others.

Occasional users must respect the privacy of materials left there by the person to whom the carrel is assigned, as well as the claim of the assignee to its regular use.

Food and Drink Policy

Please refer to the food/drink policy for the complete expectations. Food and drink found in carrels may be removed without notice.

Valuables

Watch your belongings! Please do not leave personal items unattended in your carrel. Purses, wallets, book bags, computers, and other valuables can be at risk, even for just a few minutes.

Carrels are assigned in anticipation of steady use

If you find you are not using the carrel, please inform the circulation desk so that someone else may check it out.

Interior decoration

If assignees wish to decorate the carrel with personal materials they should be sure it does not interfere with the use of the carrel by others and is not on the exterior of the carrel. Materials left on the floor are usually mistaken for trash. Please keep the carrel tidy.

It is the responsibility of the assignee to clear the carrel of all materials at the end of the year.

Users will be notified by email of the date by which carrels must be cleared. After that date, all materials, including personal items, will be removed. Library materials will be returned to circulation and personal items will be placed in lost and found.

Alert the circulation desk to problems

Users are urged to notify the staff about problems with lighting, noise, inappropriate behavior, or other building concerns.

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Terrell Main Library Floor Plans

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Mary Church Terrell Main Library

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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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