Use Search.Libraries to find books, journal articles, scores, audio, video, and more—all from a single integrated starting point.
To find books and ebooks in Search.Libraries, you can:
To find physical books only, filter your results for Availability > Physical Items @Oberlin.
Call numbers are sequences of letters and numbers used by libraries to organize our collections on the shelf. Call numbers are read in alphabetical and numerical order, so that:
Note everything following a decimal point (both numbers and letters) are read as a decimals numbers, so that:
Most call numbers at Oberlin are Library of Congress Classification (LCC) numbers, or "LC numbers".
An example of an LC number is PN1993.5.J3 B36 2019.
For an example of how resources are organized in LCC, explore the classification outline for Class B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion.
You may also encounter Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) numbers, or "Dewey numbers".
An example of a Dewey number is 813.5 B568J.
Oberlin College Libraries use local call numbers for certain collections, including CD, LP, DVD, and BluRay materials, and other audio and video recordings in physical formats; often, these materials must be requested at a circulation desk.
An example of a local call number is DVD-5281.
To browse by call number in Search.Libraries, use the Browse Search function.
You will need to select a call number category in the Browse by... dropdown.
You may browse for call numbers from the following classification systems:
You may also browse for local call numbers (e.g., DVD-123).
Browse by call number to:
To search by call number in Search.Libraries, apply the call number pre-filter before you search.
Search by call number to find more information about an item for which you know the call number, but are missing other key information.
Subject headings are labels used by libraries to consistently organize their collections.
You can look up subject headings using the Library of Congress Linked Data Service, or browse headings in the Search.Libraries Browse Search feature.
Have you encountered inaccurate or offensive subject headings? Learn about subject term flagging on our website.
Note: As of 1 October 2025, subject term flagging has not yet been reimplemented in Search.Libraries; please check back for updates.
Common types of subject heading include Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).
Subject headings are defined and managed in lists called controlled vocabularies; you can learn more about controlled vocabularies from the Library of Congress.
To search by subject heading in Search.Libraries:
To browse by subject in Search.Libraries, use the Browse Search function.
You may browse for subject headings from the following controlled vocabularies:
Searches in Browse Search should not include double-dash separation [--].
Since many subject headings display with double-dash separation [--], you may need to remove dashes when copying subject headings into the Browse Search function.
For example, to browse for the subject Jazz -- 1921-1930, you should enter Jazz 1921-1930.