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 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

October 25, 2021

The Oberlin College Libraries are embarking on a strategic planning process where we will talk with students, faculty, staff, alums, friends, and our community. We will think deeply about what we’re doing right, where we want some improvements, and what the new normal will look like for Oberlin’s libraries in the... Continue Reading

October 20, 2021

Open Access Week 2021: October 25-31

The theme of this year’s International Open Access Week, which runs from today until October 31st, is “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity”. According to openaccessweek.org: Diversity, equity, and inclusion must be consistently prioritized year-round and integrated into the fabric of... Continue Reading

October 19, 2021

The Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries Presents Jay Fiskio

On Wednesday, October 27 at 4:30 p.m., Professor Jay Fiskio will discuss her new book Climate Change, Literature, and Environmental Justice, which focuses on practices of dissent, speculative fiction, and social care. She will talk about the ways that environmental justice communities protect and repair the world through... Continue Reading

October 05, 2021

Banned Books Read Aloud at 4:30 on Wednesday, October 6

Banned Books Week (September 26-October 2, 2021) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. This week of awareness brings to light current and historical attempts to censor books in our nation. The entire book community comes together in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some... Continue Reading

Picture of Terrell Main Library Orientation Bingo Cards

September 30, 2021

Orientation Events at the Libraries

Join the Oberlin College Libraries this weekend for a little bit of fun and a lot of great info! Learn about checking out materials, online resources, and where to find those sweet study spaces. New students are especially encouraged to stop by the Libraries to learn about all we have to offer and how we can help you find... Continue Reading

September 07, 2021

Oberlin College Libraries Welcomes New Director To Campus

Join us in welcoming Valerie Hotchkiss, newly appointed Azariah S. Root Director of Libraries, to the Oberlin campus! Valerie Hotchkiss. Photo credit: John Russell/Vanderbilt University As we begin a break following an unprecedented summer semester at Oberlin College, the Libraries begin a new era under the leadership of a... Continue Reading

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

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

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Learn More About Our Libraries

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.

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.

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Borrow Equipment & Technology

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.

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.