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.

News

Here are the latest news items from the Oberlin College Libraries. Also watch our social media channels for updates about our resources, services and programs.

May 19, 2023

Oberlin Joins HathiTrust Digital Library

Launched in 2008, HathiTrust has a growing membership comprising more than two hundred libraries and holds the largest set of digitized books managed by the academic, research, and library community. Members have contributed more than 17.4 million volumes to the digital library, digitized from their library collections. More... Continue Reading

May 15, 2023

Oberlin College Archives Milestone Reunion Exhibits 2023

The Oberlin College Archives are excited to announce the annual milestone exhibits in celebration of the 50th reunion for the class of 1973 and the 25th reunion for the classes of 1996, 1997, and 1998. The exhibits will showcase a range of materials, including photographs, course catalogs, newspapers, yearbooks, and other... Continue Reading

Dorothy Ashby portrait, black and white photo.

May 08, 2023

Inquiries & Insights: MHST 360 Students Present Research from the Neumann Jazz Archive

The final presentation for MHST 360: Jazz & Media Studies Through the Neumann Archive is a culmination of the course's exploration of the broad ramifications of the "archival turn." Throughout the course, students engaged in three primary curricular activities: an interdisciplinary survey of recent writings related to... Continue Reading

Trio Chroma members holding their instruments, in front of blooming white trees in Tappan Square.

May 01, 2023

Trio Chroma Tiny Ref Desk Concert

Visit the Oberlin Conservatory Library at 12 noon (ET), May 3, 2023 for a Tiny Ref Desk Concert with Trio Chroma. The concert will also be live streamed on Instagram (@obieconlib) Trio Chroma: Blake Logan, cello; Emily Beckner, violin; William Mathangani, violaString Trio in C (1933) by Jean Francaix Continue Reading

April 20, 2023

Haiti Fights Back: The Life & Legacy of Charlemagne Péralte

Dr. Yveline Alexis is an interdisciplinary historian who earned her degrees at Cornell University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her first monograph won the Haitian Studies Association book prize, and The Times Literary Supplement listed Haiti Fights Back as a 2021 book of the year. In this talk, Professor Alexis... Continue Reading

Sammy Melman playing trombone in Tappan Square bandstand, band members playing guitar and drums.

April 14, 2023

Oberlin Folk Music and Cat in the Cream Collection at Archives

Folk music has a long history at Oberlin, beginning with Pete Seeger's performance in 1955. In 1972 he was the Commencement "speaker" who chose to sing a song rather than deliver a speech. The Oberlin Folk Music and Cat in the Cream and Coffeehouse Collection, covering 1955-2018, is now available for research, listening and... Continue Reading

Close-up of Pete Seeger performing, white flowers doodled in the empty space in the photo.

April 14, 2023

Where Have All The Flowers Gone?: Folk Music at Oberlin College

This three-part exhibit explores the history of Folk Music at Oberlin College through three individuals: Joe Hickerson '57, Pete Seeger, and Ed Freeman (1960-63). The exhibit venues are Terrell Library, 1st Floor Gallery; the College Archives; and the Conservatory Library. It is on display from now until June 16, 2023. Continue Reading

Person in lab coat and blue latex gloves typing on a laptop.

April 04, 2023

Citizen Science Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon

Celebrate citizen science by adding needed references to science-related articles. Participants will gain experience in evaluating Wikipedia articles for completeness, accuracy and bias as they review articles with [citation needed] tags, and search for reliable sources to confirm or clarify unsupported statements. Accurate... Continue Reading

Multicolored knitted projects folded on a table.

March 24, 2023

Diversity in Fiber Arts

Join us for a conversation with Lisa Whitfield, OC ’90 about LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and neurodiversity inclusion in the fiber arts. Learn about the diverse fiber artists active today and explore samples of their work. Fiber art books and patterns, some over 100 years old, will be on display as well.Hosted by the Clarence Ward Art... Continue Reading

Eris Quartet holding instruments and standing in front of large glass windows together.

March 23, 2023

Eris Quartet Tiny Ref Desk Concert

Visit the Oberlin Conservatory Library at 12 noon (ET), March 28, 2023 for a Tiny Ref Desk Concert with the Eris Quartet. The concert will also be live streamed on Instagram (@obieconlib). Eris Quartet: Amina Knapp and Maya Irizarry-Lambright, Violins; Felix Veser, Viola; Daniel Knapp, Cello Shulamit Ran String Quartet No.... Continue Reading

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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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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.