Oberlin Group of Libraries facts for kids

Barnard College, one of the colleges in the Oberlin Group.

The Oberlin Group of Libraries is like a special club for college libraries! It's a group of libraries from many different colleges and universities that work together. They share their books, research materials, and knowledge to help students and teachers learn even more.

What is the Oberlin Group of Libraries?

The Oberlin Group of Libraries was created to help smaller colleges and universities share their amazing collections. Imagine if your school library could borrow books from hundreds of other schools! That's kind of what the Oberlin Group does for its members. It started in 1992, and its main goal is to make sure students and professors at these colleges have access to lots of different resources, even if their own library isn't huge.

This group helps libraries work together on many things. For example, they might share ideas on how to organize books, how to use new technology, or how to help students find the information they need. By working as a team, these libraries can offer much more than they could on their own.

Why Libraries Work Together

Working together helps libraries in many ways.

• More Books and Resources: When libraries share, students can get books and articles from other colleges that their own library might not have. This means more choices for school projects and research!
• Saving Money: Libraries can sometimes buy things together or share expensive tools. This saves money, which can then be used for other important things, like new books or better study spaces.
• Sharing Ideas: Librarians from different colleges meet and talk about the best ways to help students. They share tips on how to find information, how to use computers for research, and how to make libraries fun places to learn.

What is a Liberal Arts College?

Many colleges in the Oberlin Group are called "liberal arts colleges." These colleges focus on giving students a broad education. Instead of just studying one specific job skill, students learn about many different subjects like history, science, art, and writing. This helps them think critically, solve problems, and understand the world better. It's about learning how to think, not just what to think.

Colleges in the Group

The Oberlin Group includes many well-known colleges and universities from across the United States. These schools are often smaller, which means students get more personal attention from their teachers. Here is a list of the colleges and universities that are part of this helpful group: