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: library-perspectives-68

Ellen Broadwell with Ashley Maiville (OC '08)

February 20, 2023

Ellen Broadwell retired in December 2022 as Library Technician IV in the Acquisitions, Gifts, E-resources & Serials Department. Ellen was appointed Acquisitions System Coordinator in 1987 when William A. Moffett was the library director; since then, tremendous changes in publishing and online access have transformed her... Continue Reading

February 20, 2023

Oberlin College Libraries Recognizes Staff Excellence

The Oberlin College Libraries inaugurated annual Staff Excellence Awards in January to acknowledge the incredible work of our staff. This year, two teams were the winners: the Assessment, Communication, and Engagement (ACE) Team which includes Lindsey Felice, Eboni Johnson, Matt Koperdak, Michael McFarlin, Gena Reynolds... Continue Reading

February 20, 2023

Kiran Williams Wins Award for Excellence in Library Research

The Friends of the Libraries Excellence in Library Research Award for the 2021-22 academic year was awarded to Kiran Williams ‘22 for her project “Exploring the Domestic Enslaved: Pompeii.” The $500 award was announced at the Friends of the Libraries Annual Dinner, November 4, 2022. Professor of Classics Drew... Continue Reading

February 20, 2023

Open Access Publishing Gets a Boost with OhioLINK Transformative Agreements

All Oberlin College authors have open access publishing options with Cambridge, Wiley, and IOPP, thanks to recent OhioLINK agreements with those publishers. This means that Author Publishing Charges (APCs) are waived for researchers from OhioLINK member institutions who submit their work for publication. These... Continue Reading

February 20, 2023

Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries Enhance Library Acquisitions

Once again, the generosity of the Libraries’ Friends group has strengthened teaching, learning, and research at Oberlin. Over $50,000 in special acquisitions funds will support acquisitions in music, history, science, and gender studies this year. We list just a few examples of the important and varied research resources... Continue Reading

Aimee Lee (OC '99) giving a papermaking demonstration

February 20, 2023

Libraries’ Winter Term Courses – Teaching and Partnering

It may have been cold outside, but the Libraries were percolating with activities during the 2023 winter term. Continuing the libraries’ mission of collaboration, instruction, and educational programming, this year’s winter term included several courses taught or supported by Libraries staff. Terrell Library... Continue Reading

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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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News: library-perspectives-68

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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.