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.

Accessibility

The library staff is committed to assisting all library users in finding information, developing strategies for conducting effective library research, and learning how to use the library facilities and resources. The libraries strive to make our resources universally available, and when needed, library staff will attempt to accommodate the needs of users who identify as having a disability. Requests for assistance are confidential.

Elizabeth Sullivan is the library staff liaison to Disability and Access. Contact her at elizabeth.sullivan@oberlin.edu, library-accessibility@oberlin.edu or 440-775-5072 with questions, feedback, or requests for the library to provide assistance or remediation.

Services Offered

Research Appointments

Schedule an individual research appointment for research assistance or orientation to the Library and its resources.

Test Taking Spaces

For faculty who need a space for students to take exams, you can reserve a study room (rooms in the Science Library and on Terrell Main Library's upper floors are typically quieter) or contact reference@oberlin.edu

E-Text or Audio File Availability

The library website is designed to meet the WCAG 2.1 standard for web accessibility. Many external library platforms provide electronic content in PDF or html format that is compatible with external text-to-speech and screen reading software such as Kurzweil, the Kurzweil Read the Web plugin, and VoiceOver. If you require assistance with an inaccessible PDF or require other remediation of content from a library platform, contact Elizabeth Sullivan, elizabeth.sullivan@oberlin.edu or library-accessibility@oberlin.edu.

Some library databases and online reference sources now make audio versions of their text files available: Factiva, Gale Virtual Reference Library, selected content in EBSCOHost.

ProQuest eBook Central provides an accessibility mode that can be activated on an individual eBook Central account from the account settings.

The Naxos Spoken Word Library includes audiobooks. These are not currently discoverable using OBIS; you must search directly in the Naxos platform or in Summon (using the "Spoken Word" content type facet) to access these titles.

Oberlin students who are blind or print disabled can request accessible copies of any copyrighted book in HathiTrust by contacting Julie Stark in the Office of Disability and Access (ODA@oberlin.edu.)

Reference staff can also assist in seeking access to e-books or other electronic texts. Library users are encouraged to suggest a purchase if an electronic version of a text is preferred. Julie Stark from the Office of Disability and Access (ODA@oberlin.edu) authorizes scanning of print texts for accessibility purposes. Contact Office of Disability and Access with citations for any print books for which you need an accessible copy.

Item Retrieval

Anyone is free to use the Request function in OBIS to arrange for books to be delivered to the Terrell Main Library Circulation Desk. You may also ask for assistance from the circulation staff.

Circulation of Materials

Readers from the Center for Student Success may arrange for extended loan periods for reserve materials.

Patrons unable to come into the libraries to return reserve or recalled materials may return material to the Terrell Main Library book drop or contact the relevant circulation department.

Requests to check out "library use only" materials

The library staff will consider requests to circulate on a short-term basis materials normally restricted to "library use only," inquire at circulation.

Equipment and Facility Use

In the case of a breakdown of the only public elevator in the Main Library going to the A-Level, circulation staff will arrange to use one of the keyed elevators to assist users in reaching the A-Level.

Building access

Most indoor public areas of the Mudd Center are accessible for wheelchair users. Access to the sundeck on the fourth floor requires using a short stair.
Elevators are available to access all library floors, from Main to the 4th floor, including Special Collections and Archives. OCID holders who can navigate push (Library -> A Level) or pull (A Level -> Library) doors may use the yellow elevator near the main entrance from Wilder Bowl to move between all 5 floors. All others (those without OCID or OCID holders who cannot navigate doors) must exit the building through the main entrance, use the ramp to the south, and re-enter the building to move between the Library and A Level, or contact the circulation desk (440-775-5016) for assistance in accessing an elevator.

All public areas of the Science Library are accessible for wheelchair users.

All public areas of the Conservatory Library are accessible for wheelchair users.

The Art Library is located on the second floor of the Venturi Art Building, and the public entrance requires using a flight of stairs. Patrons needing elevator access to the Art Library may call the Art Library staff at (440) 775-8635 for assistance.

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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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