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.

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.

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.

Journal Finder

The Oberlin College Libraries subscribe to many journals, newspapers, and magazines directly, and have access to many more through database platforms from providers including EBSCO, ProQuest, JSTOR, and many others.

The Journal Finder lists in one place every print and e-journal available through both paid subscriptions and reputable open access platforms. Use the Journal Finder to track down a journal, to see if it’s available online, or to compare access 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 use the full citation, including journal, magazine, or newspaper title and publication date to determine if Oberlin has access to an article.

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.

Portrait of Assistant Professor Jillian Scudder

July 13, 2021

Join the Oberlin College Libraries for Astroquizzical, a talk by Jillian Scudder

The Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries present Astroquizzical: What Happens When You Let Curiosity Go First?, a talk by Jillian Scudder on July 29, 2021. Jillian Scudder, Assistant Professor of Physics at Oberlin College, studies how galaxies change, and what role collisions between galaxies may have played across cosmic... Continue Reading

June 06, 2021

Service Alert: OBIS and Related Services Restored

The Oberlin College Libraries' OBIS catalog is now back online and services are once again available. Users can resume using OBIS for catalog searches and requests. Off-campus access via our proxy server has also been restored, so users are no longer required to use the VPN service to access electronic materials. If you... Continue Reading

May 28, 2021

Service Alert: OBIS Server Issues to Continue

OBIS, the Oberlin College Libraries online catalog, is experiencing technical issues related to a server failure. Most search and request functions in OBIS have been affected by these issues and the system may be inaccessible for long periods of time. Our vendor is shipping additional replacement hardware, but we do not... Continue Reading

March 15, 2021

The Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries Presents Tamika Nunley

The Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries presents a virtual presentation by Tamika Nunley on April 15, 2021. Tamika Y. Nunley, Associate Professor of History, Comparative American Studies, Law & Society, at Oberlin College will discuss her recent book At the Threshold of Liberty: Women, Slavery, and Shifting Identities... Continue Reading

October 16, 2020

The Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries Presents Erica Armstrong Dunbar

The Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries presents a virtual presentation by Erica Armstrong Dunbar, award-winning historian and author, on November 7, 2020. Erica Armstrong Dunbar is author of the National Book Award finalist Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge. Dunbar... Continue Reading

June 09, 2020

A Jazz Legend Returns to the Road

Oberlin exhibition honoring bassist Milt Hinton visits historically black institutions across the U.S. A one-of-a-kind exhibition created by the Oberlin Conservatory Library tells the story of one of the most prolific jazz musicians of the 20th century: concert performer and session man Milt Hinton, whose seven-decade career... Continue Reading

January 15, 2020

History Design Lab Institute Advises How to Launch an Oral History Project

The two-day project during winter term offers an intensive look at how to launch a collaborative oral history project, along with methods of project design and presentation. More than 70 people participated in the History Design Lab Institute, including students, faculty, and staff from on-campus winter term group projects... Continue Reading

July 15, 2019

App-based Tour Illuminates Oberlin’s History

What began as an aspiration to open a history museum in Oberlin morphed into a series of app-based tours that aim to represent the city’s diverse history. Some of the most repeated Oberlin College history tidbits may be these: that it was the first college to admit all students without respect to race, and it was the... Continue Reading

April 11, 2019

A Conversation with Alison Ricker, Science Librarian

As the head of Oberlin’s science library, Alison Ricker works behind the scenes in myriad ways. This weekend, in observance of Citizen Science Day, she will lead a volunteer effort to evaluate science-related Wikipedia articles. When did you begin working at Oberlin? Have you always been the science librarian, or did... Continue Reading

October 12, 2018

What I Didn’t Say: A Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Sound Art Installation

As the power of representation has been increasingly noted in media in this modern digital age, technology and art serve as crucial mediums for marginalized voices to be heard and acknowledged. What I Didn’t Say is an upcoming sound art installation designed by Technical Director and Lecturer in TIMARA Abby Aresty and... 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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Borrow Equipment & Technology

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.