Oberlin resident John Gorske contributed the photograph of the H.B. Dobyns store, date taken unknown, to the new database. Photo used with permission of the EOG.
			Historical Images of Downtown Oberlin Topic of Symposium Next Week By Betty Gabrielli
			NOVEMBER 8, 2000--A new online database of more than 400 historical images of downtown Oberlin will be inaugurated November 15 at a free public symposium, "Our Common Center," featuring a talk by Steven Litt, art and architecture critic of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Electronic Oberlin Group (EOG) and the Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization (O.H.I.O.). will present the symposium at 7:00 P.M. at the Oberlin Public Library, 65 South Main Street. The database--Our Common Center: Historical Images of Downtown Oberlin--is a project of Oberlin College, EOG, and O.H.I.O. and is supported by grants from the Stocker Foundation and the Ohio Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Gary Kornblith, professor of history and EOG chair, also will demonstrate how to access and navigate the new resource, and O.H.I.O. staff member Marilyn Fedelchak Harley will explain how the database has enhanced understanding of the history of downtown Oberlin from the late 19th century to the present. The program will conclude with the talk by Litt, who will discuss the Oberlin experience in light of current and future challenges facing small-town America. The photos scanned into the Common Center database come from the Oberlin College Archives, O.H.I.O., the Oberlin Fire Department, Oberlin Consumers Cooperative, Oberlin College Library Special Collections, and individuals. "Audience participation is encouraged, but no computer knowledge is necessary to enjoy the November 15 program," says O.H.I.O. director Pat Murphy. O.H.I.O. welcomes the loan of additional photographs that help tell the story of downtown Oberlin’s buildings, businesses, and people. Drop-in hours for scanning photos are 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. Wednesday, Fridays, and Saturdays and by appointment at O.H.I.O.—by phone (440-774-1700) or e-mail.
			Please send comments, questions, and suggestions about Oberlin Online news and feature articles to online.news@oberlin.edu.