Hiram College Library

Locating the Hiram College Library

Our address is: P.O. Box 67, Hiram, OH 44234

The Library is located on the campus of Hiram College near Bates Hall, the Post Office, and the Hiram Inn. Below is a Google Map which can help you find your way to us.

If you are on campus look for the clock tower as we are one of the tallest buildings on campus. If you would like additional help please give us a call at (330)-569-5489.

Hiram College Library Campus Map (PDF)

Policies & Procedures

General Policy

Members of the general public are welcome to use the Hiram College Library.  Use of the library is defined as use of library services and/or collections (both print and online) within the building.  Members of the general public are especially invited to make use of the Federal Depository Collection and the State of Ohio Depository Collection.

To enable the use of its collections, the library makes available several computers to allow access to the library’s online catalog, as well as internet access.  Word processing and other software is not available.  Electronic information, services, software, and networks provided directly or indirectly shall be accessible in accordance with licensing or contractual requirements.  Use of the computers implies consent with the Hiram College Acceptable Use Policy.

There is a small charge for printing, although the fee is waived for most government documents.  Parents should note the Library does not filter internet access and is not responsible for children viewing online (and print) materials that may be considered unsuitable by the parents.

Materials may be checked out only by persons with a Hiram College ID, members of the Friends of the Hiram College Library, or by those holding a valid library card from a library that is a member of either OhioLINK or SearchOhio.

Library staff are not responsible for unattended children and cannot be responsible for their safety.  Library staff reserve the right to ask anyone exhibiting disruptive or inappropriate behavior to leave the building.

All library patrons are expected to show consideration of others and cooperate with other library users and staff. A reasonably quiet environment should be maintained for the benefit of all persons in the library. Food and drink is allowed, but please place your trash in trash bins found on each floor. Spills should be reported to the front desk. Shirts and shoes must be worn.

For its first 50 years, Hiram College did not have a library.

Each of the student literary societies, however, had its own small libraries, usually limited to members only. The closest the College came to a common library was the federal depository collection (established in 1874) housed in the original Hinsdale Hall.

In 1900 a gift from Abram Teachout funded the construction of the Teachout-Cooley Library, a two-story brick and wood structure with a three story tower. The collection consisted of books donated by the literary societies and the depository collection. An addition to the building was constructed in 1923.

The building was largely destroyed by fire in 1939. A new building was erected and expanded in 1948 and again in 1963. At that time, the library was renamed the Teachout-Price Memorial Library.

The current library building opened in 1995. The Hiram College Library provides a link between the old and the new with group study rooms, a variety of individual study spaces, growing collections in both print and digital, a number of computers, and wireless access.

For more in-depth histories, see:
Hiram College Library Wikipedia Entry

Our Mission:
The mission of the Hiram College Library is to create an environment that fosters intellectual excellence and encourages lifelong learning.

Our Vision:
The library is a constantly evolving organization that articulates with the changing needs of the campus and community. Traditionally perceived as a physical repository for book and journal collections, and serving as the intellectual “heart of the campus,” its roles and responsibilities have expanded with the increasing complexity of the scholarly world, the curriculum, academic pedagogy, and campus life. Libraries now add value to the learning and research process beyond what they have previously done well.

Despite the growing presence of the digital world in the lives of students, faculty, and staff, the library as a physical presence still has meaning, and in that capacity is as important as ever. The library will provide a comfortable, welcoming environment with easy access to collections and spaces that support both individual and collaborative group work.

The Library will provide collections that support the college’s curriculum, enable research at all levels (particularly undergraduate), and satisfy individual curiosity. The library will collect information regardless of type (books, journals, video, etc.), or format (print, online, multimedia, etc.), but will select based on how best to foster the library’s mission.

In order to provide easy access to those collections, the library will offer a variety of services, both personal and technological. Given, however, that the library cannot provide access to everything that might be needed on site, it will also offer services to gain access to additional materials and information, as well as services that enhance and streamline the research process.

The library will take an active leadership role in information literacy across the curriculum, campus, and community. The exponential increase in information available and the continually evolving range of formats and delivery technologies requires the library to enable people to make the best possible decisions and use of time in locating, judging, and managing information in a complex environment. Hiram College students must graduate with information literacy skills in order to meet the college’s mission.

The library will support the intellectual environment of the college through programming. Collaboration with partners on and off the campus (e.g. Friends of the Library) is vital to the success of this activity.

None of the above statements can be collectively realized as a clear vision without a sufficient number of well-trained, highly motivated staff, both professional and non-exempt, who are supported and encouraged in their own intellectual and job growth.

The Hiram College Archives is open by appointment.

Please contact Janet Vogel (vogelj@hiram.edu) and Terri Foy (foytm@hiram.edu) for more information or to schedule an appointment.