Oberlin College. Library

The Oberlin College Library was formed in 1833 when the College was incorporated. Under the direction of Azariah Smith Root (1862-1927), the library emerged as a prominent institution on campus, reflective of Root's own stature in the library profession. By 1923, Oberlin's was the largest college library in the country. Funds donated by Andrew Carnegie made possible the construction of the library's first permanent building in 1908. Root's successor was Julian Fowler (1890-1975), who increased the library's endowment and holdings. Under Eileen Thornton (b. 1909), the library broadened the scope if its collections, improved services, and planned and secured funding for a new library building, Mudd Center. Thornton developed a major music library for the Conservatory, a chemistry and biology branch library, advocated a separate College archives, and an East Asian Studies collection. Between 1971 and 1978, Herbert E. Johnson (b. 1934) oversaw the construction, equipping, and move into the Mudd Learning Center. Economic recession forced major budget cuts during the mid-seventies, which were reversed by Director William A. Moffett (b. 1933), who raised the library's endowment to 2.2 million. The first online circulation system was installed in 1978, and in 1984, an automated acquisition and serials control system was implemented. The Oberlin Bibliographical Information System (OBIS) became operational in 1989.