Oberlin Heritage Center
Resource Center
Research Requests
The Resource Center includes a wide variety of books and files on local and national history. Here is a partial list of holdings. Visitors who wish to use the Oberlin Heritage Center Resource Center for local or family history research must make an appointment by calling (440) 774-1700 or e-mailing Pat Holsworth at ohiobiz@oberlinheritage.org. Our office hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, but the library is not always staffed. There is no charge for you to use the Resource Center and we are happy to direct you to resources. If you need extensive research assistance, the charges below apply. If you need to make copies of the information provided (provided the condition of the material allows copying), the cost is 10 cents per copy.
Local history and/or family history research assistance is offered by
experienced researchers from the Oberlin Heritage Center for those who
cannot visit the Resource Center or those who wish someone else to do
the research for them. The charges are as follows:
E-Mail or telephone requests that are easily and/or quickly answered (1 question, 1 resource) are answered with no charge. For any question that takes more time and research, see below for charges.
For Oberlin Heritage Center Members: 30 minutes free research per year. 10% discount on hourly rate for time over 30 minutes (currently that charge would be $13.50 per hour). The cost of copies and postage is in addition to the charge for staff research.
For Non-Members: $15 per hour for research. The cost of copies and postage is in addition to the charge for staff research.
Photocopies and postage: 50 cents for first page, 25 cents for each additional page (includes postage).
To utilize this service please click here and print a copy of the Resource Center Research Authorization and Information Sheet. This form is designed to help our staff evaluate and answer your request effectively. Please complete all items and send a $15.00 (one hour) deposit with your request to the following address:
Oberlin Heritage Center
PO Box 455
Oberlin, Ohio 44074
When the request is received, the staff will evaluate your information, formulate a research strategy and advise you of any estimated cost beyond one hour. Note that we do not conduct searches outside of the Resource Center (e.g. the Court House, Health Department, Oberlin College Archives), unless special arrangements are made.
Every effort will be made to locate the information you request in our archives. Even if no information is found, it will still be necessary to pay for the research carried out.
Note to Family History Researchers: Please return a Five Generation Pedigree Chart (or as many generations as you have) with your Research Authorization and Information Sheet.
Note to those wishing to reproduce photographs from the Resource Center: Please print out this request form and fax or mail it in.