Oberlin Community Reference Collection

The Oberlin Community Reference Collection is arranged in five series: 1. City Directories; 2. Telephone Directories; 3. Scrapbooks and Clippings; 4. Obituaries; and, 5. Special Subjects.

The original city directories are in poor condition; user copies are available on paper and microfilm. The binders of photocopied city directories include years not available as originals for the years 1859-82 and 1884-96. The microfilm edition holds the complete run, from 1859-1916 and 1920-70, with the exception of the year 2008, which is only available in original hard copy form.

The microfilm edition of Oberlin telephone directories likewise covers the most complete run, from 1899-1971. Additional original telephone directories cover some of those years after 1915, and also 1975-88, 1990-98, and 2000-07. Lorain County material is limited to telephone directories for 1984 and 1988-2001.

Series 3 holds two scrapbooks of newspaper clippings. One scrapbook carries a modern label with the title District Board of Health, and is devoted to public health for the years 1920-26. The clippings, partially pasted down, are in very poor condition. The second scrapbook contains fully pasted down clippings on Oberlin Council proceedings, elections, ordinances, taxation, natural gas, College and town structures, roads and sidewalks, waterworks, sewers, flooding, street railways, municipal services, and miscellaneous town news.

Series 4 comprises copies of newspaper clippings of obituaries for Oberlin community members.

Series 5 holds a file of materials on photographers and artists in Oberlin, including compiled information from city directories in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.