The Oberlin Group Records, 1985-2013
| Oberlin College Archives
Administrative/Biographical History
The idea for the Oberlin Group grew out of conferences of the presidents of 50 liberal arts colleges held at Oberlin in 1985 and 1986 to discuss the role of private colleges in educating the nation's scientists. The colleges represented had produced an exceptional number of graduates who later earned doctorates in scientific fields. One of the purposes of these conferences was to draw national attention to the importance of liberal arts colleges for scientific education and, in so doing, to garner more foundation and government support. Drawing on the science conferences model, the late Bill Moffett, then Director of Libraries at Oberlin, formed a steering committee to plan a meeting of 60 liberal arts college library directors. Members were Bill Moffett (Oberlin) chair, Will Bridegam (Amherst), John Sheridan (Colorado College), Kathy Spencer (Franklin and Marshall), Christopher McKee (Grinnell), Eleanor Pinkham (Kalamazoo), Becky Pollock (Reed), and Richard Werking (Trinity University).
The first meeting was held at Oberlin in November 1986. The group discussed issues of common concern, including the need for more library funding. Library directors from the 50 institutions represented at the science conferences were invited, as well as directors from a number of other selective liberal arts colleges. The first conference was a success and the directors decided to meet every year at a member institution. They became known as the 'Oberlin Group' because of the site of the first meeting.
From the beginning the Oberlin Group has functioned informally and with minimal structure. Its main purpose has been to share information among the directors in a collegial way and to establish an atmosphere of mutual encouragement and support. Since the first conference, the Oberlin Group has evolved well beyond the annual meeting. Bill Moffett established (and Ray English and Oberlin College continued) a listserv for the discussion of matters of common concern. In 1991 the group established an annual statistical survey, adapted from an earlier survey compiled by Art Monk (Bowdoin); initially compiled by Dennis Ribbens (Lawrence) the survey is now conducted online. Members routinely conduct surveys and share their findings with the group.
In the 1990s the group initiated cooperative projects and activities such as reciprocal interlibrary loan agreements. More recently members have negotiated consortial contracts for subscriptions to electronic journals and electronic reference services. Because the entire membership is not obligated to participate in these consortial contracts, the subscribing subgroup varies from project to project.
The opportunity to talk formally and informally with other liberal arts college library directors about current issues in college librarianship is one of the key benefits of membership in the group. An annual meeting is held each year hosted by one or more member institutions. In 2011 the membership adopted new organizational principles to give the Group more structure, without losing the informality that many see as a key benefit. The new structure includes a Coordinating Committee that will oversee the annual meeting as well as address other issues that come up during the year. The Coordinating Committee will also serve as the contact when outside groups are seeking input from the Oberlin Group. In addition to members who are elected to serve on the Coordinating Committee members will include the current meeting host(s) and the Treasurer. The inaugural Coordinating Committee will be elected at the fall 2011 meeting in Atlanta.
SOURCE
History submitted by Ray English (Oberlin) and co-authored by former director, Will Bridegam; revised in 2011. From the web site of the Oberlin Group at http://www.oberlingroup.org/brief-history-oberlin-group.
Author: Ray English, Will Bridegam Forms of Material (links to similar genres) Administrative Information
The records of the Oberlin Group cover several years of collaborative effort between numerous liberal arts college libraries across the country from 1986 to 2013. These records provide documentation of the history, administration and management of the Oberlin Group, from the group’s initial meeting at the Oberlin College Library in 1986 through 2013. Several important technological advances and important collegiate changes such as the introduction and development of the Internet, library automation, open access, database sharing and innovative building projects occurred during this period and are evidenced by the record.
The largest series of files documents the extensive email correspondence between the Oberlin College Library and the other fifty plus college libraries belonging to the group. Highlights of the email correspondence document annual conference planning and implementation, Ariel database and the Coalition for Networked Information discussions, and membership committee conversations.
Several key topics represented and referenced throughout the record are: membership, by-laws, organizational directives, new members and consideration guidelines, library automation, collective database sharing, library statistics and surveys, library management issues, and the annual Oberlin Group conference planning.
The records of the Oberlin Group are arranged in the following series:
Series 1. By-laws
Series 2. Conferences
Series 3. Email Correspondence
Series 4. General Correspondence
Series 5. History of the Oberlin Group
Series 6. Membership
Series 7. Statistics & Surveys
Series 8. News Clippings
Series 9. Non-Textual Media
Series 10. Photographs
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series 1. By-laws, 1996, 2010-11 (0.05 l.f.)
Series contains the evolving by-laws of the Oberlin Group, starting with the initial draft in 1996 and the additional drafts of 2010 and 2011.
Series 2. Conferences, 1986-89, 1991-2013 (0.15 l.f.)
Series consists of email and general correspondence exchanged in the planning and development of the annual conference, held in various locations throughout the country. There are also several conference flyers and pamphlets, attendance rosters, conference schedule outlines, and planned events listings.
Series 3. Email Correspondence, 1990-2013 (1.2 l.f.)
This series contains email correspondence for the Oberlin Group occurring between the years of 1990 through 2013. There are thirteen subject divisions noted, ranging in topics from Ariel database discussions, the Oberlin Group’s administrative functioning, FirstSearch, general email correspondence, library surveys and the Steering Committee.
Series 4. General Correspondence, 1987-2013 (0.4 l.f.)
The general correspondence series documents a wide variety of topics relating to library administration, the advancement of online cataloging, collection development, building construction and renovations, grant writing and proposals, staff development, donor affiliations and endowments, library programming, projects and publications. There are some overlaps of information between the email and general correspondence, due to the difference of the medium in which the messages were conveyed.
Series 5. History of the Oberlin Group, 1985-87, 1993, 1997-98, 2004 (0.2 l.f.)
Documents within this series relate to the history of the group, starting with its inception in 1985 led by William Moffett, Director of Libraries at Oberlin College (1978-1990). There are several letters of correspondence, thank you notes, letters of recommendation and interpersonal conversation documents regarding the development, continued organization and functioning of the group.
Series 6. Membership, 1986-87, 1990-99, 2002-04, 2006-07, 2010-12 (0.4 l.f.)
This series contains documents pertaining to the Membership Committee of the Oberlin Group. Membership data collections, directories, email address listings, and committee meeting minutes are all found within the series.
Series 7. Statistics & Surveys, 1986-87, 1989-2001, 2003-09, 2013 (0.2 l.f.)
The yearly comparison group statistics and various library surveys covering topics such as acquisitions, salaries, building projects, and the LibQual survey are found in this series. The series is arranged chronologically.
Series 8. News Clippings, 1986, 1990, 1993 (0.05 l.f.)
This series contains three news clippings concerning a library information session at the annual conference in 1993, an article about William Moffett’s retirement in 1990, and coverage of the inaugural Oberlin Group conference in 1986.
Series 9. Non-Textual Media, 1996, 2006 (0.05 l.f.)
Consists of a video recording (DVD) of the Technical Services Drill Team from Bowdoin College, presented at the Oberlin Group Annual Conference in 2006; and a 3.5” diskette contain a file, dated September 1996, concerning the pressures that librarians encounter. A print out of this file is filed in Series 7. See also Series 10 for a CD-ROM containing photographs.
Series 10. Photographs, 1986, 1991-99, 2002-06, 2013 (0.1 l.f.)
The series contains several photographs of the Oberlin Group as a whole, as well as a few individual speakers in front of the group. There are thirteen, 8 x 10”, annual color photographs; two, 8 x 10”, annual black and white photographs; one, 5 x 7”, annual color photograph; and one, 8 x 12”, annual color photograph depicting the entire group. There are also six, 8 x 10”, black and white photos of individuals addressing the group, as well as one, 5 x 7”, black and white, negatives composite of individuals and the group at the inaugural meeting. Also included is a CD-ROM containing images of Oberlin Group members at Bowdoin College, October 2006.