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

Two people handing books to one another on light green background, cartoon illustration.

May 14, 2022

SWAP Co-Op Book Drive: May 14-28

SWAP Book Co-Op is having a donation drive May 14-28! Want to donate your class-required books so others can use them next semester? Here's how:1. Find bins in ANY campus library2. Come to Book SWAP from 2-4pm on Saturdays in the Tank Basement Continue Reading

Megan Kaes Long portrait in front of dark gray background.

May 10, 2022

Hearing Homophony, or, How to Listen to the Future

Megan Kaes Long, Associate Professor of Music Theory, Oberlin College & Conservatory Presented by the Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries Friday, May 20, 2022 | 4:30 PMStudioc, 38 E College St., Oberlin, OH 44074Free and open to the publicMasks required indoorsLive transcription / captioning will be availableThe... Continue Reading

The Singing Crows members holding instruments and standing on a flat roof with blue sky and clouds.

May 10, 2022

Tiny Ref Desk Concert, The Singing Crows @ noon May 13

Come hear some music. Amina Knapp & Max Ball (Violins). Felix Veser (Viola), and Daniel Knapp (Cello) will play Ligeti String Quartet No. 1 “Metamorphoses Nocturnes” and Selections from The Danish String Quartet's "Woodworks and Last Leaf" at noon on Friday, May 13 at the Reference desk in the Conservatory... Continue Reading

May 03, 2022

Open Access Publishing Opportunities with Cambridge & Wiley

Thanks to OhioLINK, Oberlin faculty who are submitting articles to journals at Cambridge University Press or Wiley may choose the open access model at no expense. These deals are in effect through 2024 and 2023 respectively. Feel free to contact Academic Engagement & Digital Initiatives Coordinator Megan Mitchell... Continue Reading

Gunnar Heydenreich observing a flat material on a table using a microscope.

April 29, 2022

Evolution of a Digital Art Resource: The Cranach Digital Archive

Join us for the 2022 Jantz Memorial Lecture given by Dr. Gunnar Heydenreich, director of the Cranach Digital Archive (CDA). CDA provides free online access to the art of German Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553), his sons, and their workshop.Using digital techniques to reveal physical details of... Continue Reading

Neon-style outline of a film projector projecting a still of a National Park on a starry background.

April 19, 2022

Celebrate National Park Week! Film Viewing in the Science Library

This Thursday, April 21 at 7pm, join the science library staff for a viewing of Our Great National Parks narrated by former President Barack Obama. See the trailer for this five-part docuseries at www.netflix.com/title/81086133. Attendance is limited to 30. Location: computer classroom, Science Library (N181 Science Center).... Continue Reading

Quintessence members holding instruments while posing in front of windows.

April 18, 2022

Tiny Ref Desk Concert @ noon, 4/28, with Quintessence

Vist the Oberlin Conservatory Library at 12 noon (ET), April 28, 2022, either in person on Instagram @obieconlib, for a Tiny Ref Desk concert with the Quintessence woodwinds and horn quintet. Quintessence: Ben Smith, Flute; Jon Kronheimer, Oboe; Katelyn Poetker, Clarinet; Oved Rico, Horn; AJ Neubert, Bassoon Program: Wind... Continue Reading

A man and child examining a flower with greenery in the background.

April 16, 2022

Contribute! Anyone can be a citizen scientist during Citizen Science Month!

April is both Earth Month and Citizen Science Month - a great time to contribute to our understanding of life on Earth by identifying plants and animals around us. It's a lot of fun using the app iNaturalist. The Science Library has been using iNaturalist for a few years, under the name "obiescilib." Try it, or get involved in... Continue Reading

Exterior view of the Conservatory with windows looking into rooms with lights on and a pond outside.

April 15, 2022

Library Tours

Have questions about the library? Feel like you don't understand our services or collections? Take a library tour, offered monthly at each branch (Terrell, Art, Conservatory, Science, Archives & Special Collections. Register Continue Reading

Two rabbits sitting with decorated eggs, cartoon illustration.

April 15, 2022

Easter Egg Hunt at the Art Library!

Happy Spring! This month we are doing an Egg Hunt in the Clarence Ward Art Library stacks from April 11-30! Look for books with colorful paper eggs and bring them up to the circulation desk to be entered into a raffle for a Slow Train Gift Card! The more eggs you find, the greater your chances to win. What are you waiting... 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.