The Oakland University Libraries support the educational and research mission of the University by providing user-centered teaching, services, resources, and learning environments for students, faculty, and staff. The University Libraries are committed to fostering academic excellence and knowledge creation, and promoting information literacy within the campus community and beyond.
Information Resources
- The Libraries’ collections contain over 50,000 e-books, 75,000 journal titles in electronic and print formats, over 800,000 print volumes, multimedia resources, and more.
- The Libraries’ subscribe to over 130 online databases and now feature Library OneSearch, a discovery tool that enables users to search through the Libraries’ print and electronic holdings simultaneously with a single search, and to obtain one set of search results.
- Last year patrons conducted 1.4 million searches in library databases and retrieved over a million full-text articles from our electronic collections.
- The Libraries' Special Collections include the Hicks Collection of Early Books by Women with holdings going back to the 17th century; the James Collection of Books on Folklore and Witchcraft; the Springer Collection of Lincolniana; and the Gaylor Collection of LGBT Literature.
- The Libraries house and maintain the University Archives, which include a variety of materials documenting the history of Oakland University from its origins as a branch liberal arts campus of Michigan State University to the doctoral research university it is today. Archival materials are held in multiple formats, some of which have been digitized and loaded onto our institutional repository OUR@Oakland.
- Oakland students and faculty, through the Libraries' participation in MeLCat and Michicard, have access to the collections of hundreds of Michigan libraries both academic and public. We also have reciprocal borrowing agreements with many other institutions nearby.
- The OUWB School of Medicine Library's excellent collection is primarily electronic and can be accessed by al OU faculty and students through the Medical Library web site.
Information Expertise and Collaboration in Teaching
- Our librarians are friendly, user-centered, and thoroughly knowledgeable about the best sources to use to find the best information. Reach us in person at the Reference Desk, via chat through the Ask a Librarian link, via email or telephone. Last year we answered over 21,000 reference questions.
- Through our web site, http://library.oakland.edu the Libraries offer dozens of extensive research guides across all subject areas, as well as course guides that support work in particular University classes.
- The Libraries also offer a 4 credit course, LIB 250, Research in the Information Age, meeting the Writing Intensive and Knowledge Application requirements for General Education.
- Our librarians provide hundreds of in-class instruction sessions every year, working with faculty across the University to teach information skills and research strategies to undergraduate and graduate students. Not only in the classroom, librarians teach by embedding in online sections and using technology like Elluminate video instruction.
- These same librarians also provide hundreds of research consultations offering individualized attention for each student's research need.
- Peer mentoring in information technology issues is available from our Information Commons student staff; almost 10,000 students received technology peer mentoring in the IC last year.
- To support the mission of the Oakland University William Beaumont Medical School, the Medical Library is staffed by expert medical librarians who are deeply embedded in the teaching mission of the School, and are also available to all Oakland University students.
Physical and Virtual Learning Spaces
- Kresge Library features a wireless network through our whole building, some of the most popular computing spaces on campus with our Information Commons, computers in the Reference Area, and laptops for checkout at the Circulation Desk. Kresge Library offers over 150 computers for its users.
- From the breakout rooms and "cabanas" in the Information Commons, equipped with presentation-screen computers for group use, to the over 80 study rooms all through the library, to the capacious open seating study areas throughout the building, Kresge Library can meet the study space needs of up to 1700 students at a time. We strive to create a user-friendly, technology-rich learning environment oriented completely towards helping students succeed in their Oakland University education.
- This year the Libraries began the experiment of starting 24/5 hours of operation, with additional hours until 2AM on Friday and Saturday nights.
- The Writing Center, adjacent to the Information Commons on the second floor, features writing assistance across the subject disciplines, and to all levels of students and faculty.
- On the first floor is a group study room and individual study rooms for the exclusive use of our medical students, as well as the office for the Medical Library staff.
- Over 450,000 visitors came into Kresge Library last year, and over 1,000,000 visited our home page on the web http://library.oakland.edu/.
- The Frankie Cafe, honoring a previous Dean of the Library, offers delicious Peet's coffees as well as smoothies, sandwiches and other treats to help students stay stoked with productive energy. Since opening in October 2010, the Cafe has proven very popular with students, faculty and staff alike.
Community Engagement
- Members of the community are welcome to use resources, collections and Internet access within the Kresge Library building during regular library hours.
- The Libraries sponsor cultural and educational events like monthly poetry readings in our Cafe and a yearly Slam during National Poetry Month (April); monthly Alumni Book to Film Book Club; public speakers like Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, and Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh; visits from local high schools pursuing the International Baccalaureate program; and continued partnership with the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS), and more.
Interesting Facts
- The front of the Library is graced by a fountain featuring seven sculptures by famous Michigan artist Marshall Fredericks. Built in 1976, the piece Saints and Sinners with benches nearby and shady rows of crabapple trees behind it forms a distinctively beautiful area for rest, meditation and contemplation.
- Just inside the lobby is a display case where the University Mace is kept. The Mace is used to lead the solemn academic procession for all Oakland University commencements and convocations.