Facilities

Oberlin's facilities are unsurpassed by any school its size. It has one of the nation's most extensive college library collections, one of the finest college art collections in the country and first-rate facilities and equipment in music, theater arts, the natural sciences, computing and physical education.

Oberlin College's main library is located in the Mudd Center. The main library houses most of the College's collection of more than two million items. The balance of the collection is in three other libraries elsewhere on campus (the science library in the Science Center; the art library in the Venturi wing of the Allen Art Building; and the conservatory library in the Conservatory of Music).

The Allen Memorial Art Museum, internationally recognized for the excellence of its collection, was established in 1917 as the teaching collection of Oberlin College. Over the years the museum's collection has been carefully developed through purchases and gifts. It has been recognized as one of the finest college or university art collections in the nation, and it continues to grow in size and distinction. The collection, which ranges over the entire history of art, is particularly strong in the areas of Dutch and Flemish painting of the 17th century; European art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries; contemporary American art; and Old Master and Japanese prints.

The Museum is a landmark building designed by noted American architect Cass Gilbert. In 1977 it was expanded through the addition of a large new gallery for modern art, designed by the architectural firm Venturi, Rauch and Associates. The Allen Memorial Art Building also houses the College's art department with its superior art library of 75,000 volumes.

The Irvin E. Houck Center for Information Technology, located in the Mudd Center, is responsible for administrative computing, the major servers, computing labs, and data networks on campus. More than 250 computers along with a diverse offering of application software are available to students in public and departmental labs. Specialized services are available for multimedia processing, and a growing wireless network serves many public areas of the campus. Internet access in all dorm rooms is connected by a residential network and students are assisted by a trained workforce of "Residential Computing Consultants" (RCC's). More information can be found at Oberlin's web site at www.oberlin.edu.

Peters Hall, completed in 1887, was renovated in 1996 and its function redefined primarily for foreign languages. Extensive classroom space, including a dedicated seminar room for each department, and faculty office space are complemented by the Paul and Edith Cooper International Learning Center, a state-of-the-art language lab and media center. Also housed in the building are the Office of the Dean of Studies (including student advising, international students, study-away library, and Winter Term), the Learning Assistance Resource Center, and the Office of Residential Life and Dining Services.  

The Oberlin College Science Center, completed in 2002, is an integrated science complex that incorporates the Roger W. Sperry Building, the Kettering Hall of Science, and the Wright Physics Building into a newly constructed facility offering the latest design in laboratory, lecture hall, and classroom spaces for teaching and research, as well as a new Commons area for use by all students and faculty. The center houses the biology, chemistry, and physics departments, the neuroscience program, and the science library. The 230,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility has been designed to encourage collaborative learning between the disciplines of the natural sciences, to support both faculty and student research, and to provide an environment where both formal and informal learning are fostered.

The Adam J. Lewis Center for Environmental Studies opened in November 1999. Designed to purify and reuse non-potable wastewater on site, utilize sustainably grown or produced materials, and eliminate the use of toxic materials, the center has a rooftop photovoltaic array as well as a monitoring system that assesses energy performance levels. The building is intended to be a laboratory that showcases environmentally efficient building technologies, operating systems, and sustainable building techniques. The Lewis Center has won several major architectural awards and has attracted considerable national attention.

The performing arts at Oberlin utilize the Sophronia Brooks Hall Auditorium, which seats 500 for theater and opera productions, and Warner Center for the Performing Arts, used for theater and dance classes and productions. Finney Chapel is available for concerts, large lectures, and performances of various kinds. It houses the recently installed Kay Africa Memorial Organ, built by C. B. Fisk, Inc., of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Other organs on the Oberlin campus include a three-manual Flentrop organ in Warner Concert Hall and a two-manual Brombaugh organ in Harkness Chapel in Bosworth Hall. The facilities of the Conservatory of Music include two concert halls and numerous rehearsal spaces (see "Facilities" in the Conservatory section of this catalog.)

Athletic facilities are located in the Jesse Philips Physical Education Center. It contains Carr Pool (site of two NCAA swimming and diving championships), a Nautilus center, a free-weight room, three full-length courts for basketball, volleyball, and indoor tennis, six racquetball courts, nine squash courts, a training room, and specialty rooms for activities such as gymnastics and fencing. The Oberlin College Climbing Wall, unveiled in September 2003, features four climbing faces and a bouldering cave.

Oberlin's John W. Heisman Club Field House was completed in the fall of 1992. Connected to the Philips Physical Education Center, it contains a 200-meter track and four tennis courts, plus space for football, baseball, soccer, and lacrosse practice. Other facilities include 12 all-weather tennis courts, 22 multipurpose outdoor fields, and six bowling lanes.