F. W. Olin Library

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F. W. Olin Library

F. W. Olin Library houses a collection of over 240,000 volumes and other media supporting Northeastern University Oakland campus. The inviting F.

Olin Library houses a collection of over 240,000 volumes and other media supporting the curricular needs of the College, with special emphases on literature, history, women's studies, art, and music. The interior of the building was designed with comfort and accessibility in mind and includes study and workstations of appealing variety, a listening-viewing room with fully equipped audiovisual stat

ions, and a seminar room. Computer workstations are available throughout the library to access library databases, the Internet, email, or word processing. Library facilities are fully wheelchair-accessible, and special services for disabled students are available. The library is also home to the Special Collections of 12,000 volumes and 10,000 manuscripts, including a leaf from a Gutenberg Bible. Housed in the Heller Rare Book Room, the collections include printed books from the 15th century to the present, as well as the Mills College Collection. It is also the home of the Mills Center for the Book, a forum for cultural, literary, and aesthetic heritage of the book. The library is open 88.5 hours a week during the semester. Reference librarians are available until 7:00 pm most weekdays to help students organize their research efforts and make the best use of library resources. Library staff also teach students how to find and use bibliographic and electronic resources pertinent to specific needs or assignments.

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from the staff at F. W. Olin! Can you guess who we're all dressed as?

Bonus points if you can tell us who is wearing the same costume as last year...

07/07/2025

We're moving our regular posts to Instagram .w.olinlibrary to keep things simple! Same content, just in one place. See you over there!

New books to share! All titles can be found on the New Books shelves at the .

Image descriptions: Photos of 6 book covers propped up on a shelf in the library. The circulation desk in the softly-lit library is seen in the background.

1. Bad Medicine; Settler Colonialism and the Institutionalization of American Indians by Sarah A. Whitt. A photograph and collage featuring a young person wearing a traditional Native American feathered headdress, overlaid with vibrant colored circles in blue, red, yellow, and green. The title text is white across the image with the subtitle and author’s name in small white text at the bottom left.

2: The Women Who Changed Architecture edited by Jan Cigliano Hartman. A light red background featuring images of cityscapes and homes. The title is in yellow block text across the cover with the editor’s name in small white text to the left.

3: The Eights by Joanna Miller. A black background with teal simple line drawings of swans. A small red racing shell for rowing as seen from above is in the center. White title text is above the shell with the author’s name below.

4: Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson. Bright red cover with white geometric grid pattern overlay. Black and white cartoon illustration shows three children harvesting animated ginseng from the ground.

5: The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar. A white background featuring large detailed botanical illustrations of dahlias or chrysanthemums in orange, pink, and red tones with green foliage. The title text and a snaking image around and through the flowers portrays glimpses of another landscape behind the white cover. The author’s name is in red text below.

6: Halfway to Somewhere by Jose Pimienta. Colorful cartoon cover featuring a young person with dark hair in a green shirt running across a background that transitions from a seaside street, to a desert with cacti and hikers, to urban buildings. The background uses warm yellow, red, purple and blue. The title is in red text with the author’s name in blue text below the title.

07/02/2025

New books to share! You can find them on the New Books shelves at the .

Image descriptions: Photos of 7 book covers propped up on a shelf in the library. The circulation desk in the softly-lit library is seen in the background.

1. Roll for Love by M.K. England. Cover shows two romantic scenes in cartoon: an embracing couple at the top and two people sitting at a table with dice and gaming materials at the bottom. A background of bluish mountains and purple trees frames the embracing couple while the gamers have a dark barn-like door behind them. The title is in blue text in the center and the author’s name is in white text below.

2. The Role of a Great Game Designer (Book 1 of The Game Designer Handbook Series) by Richard Carrillo. Minimalist black cover with white text arranged around a single white dot left of center.

3. Abortion in the Age of Unreason: A Doctor's Account of Caring for Women Before and After Roe v. Wade by Warren M. Hern. Gray textured background resembling windswept stone with the title text in blue and red. The subtitle is in white text on a dark gray background below. The author’s name is in black text below the subtitle.

4. Anything by Rebecca Stead. White background with hand-lettered title text in blue, orange, green, and red. A simple drawing of a child with shoulder-length hair sitting on a cardboard box, wearing a dark sweater. Elements around the child include yellow and blue squiggles, yellow stars, and other small objects scattered around.

5. When Sally O'Malley Discovered the Sea by Karen Cushman. Yellow-green background with decorative blue text for the title. Illustration shows three people of different ages walking together wearing period clothing including long dresses and bonnets in earth tones. They are accompanied by a large brown dog and a gray horse. The author’s name is in white text below.

descriptions continued in the comments

06/23/2025

New books to share! All titles are available on the shelves of the . Happy reading!

Image descriptions: Photos of 8 book covers propped up on a shelf in the library. The circulation desk in the softly-lit library is seen in the background.

1. Earl & Worm; The Bad Idea and Other Stories by Greg Pizzoli. A cartoon illustration of a white bird in a blue jacket and an orange worm. They sit on a rock in an illustrated garden scene with the characters holding paintbrushes, surrounded by green grass, colorful flowers, and a paint bucket. The title text is in blue, orange and yellow above and below the scene. The author’s name is in small black text at the top.

2. Unboxing Libby by Steph Cherrywell. A purple background featuring three illustrated boxes arranged side by side. Each box contains a different young girl: one with a pink tutu, black jacket, and ripped jeans against yellow, one in a yellow shirt and blue jeans against pink, and one with a white shirt and green plaid skirt against orange. The title text is white at the top and the author’s name is in smaller white text at the bottom.

3. Better Must Come by Desmond Hall. A mostly orange background with a young Black woman in a blue shirt looking to the side. A yellow fishing-like net is behind her. Red title text covers the image and the author’s name is in blue text at the bottom.

4. Whirligigs; The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson’s Imagination by Carole Boston Weatherford. A blue sky background features colorful windmill and whirligig illustrations. An older man in blue pants, green shirt, and a blue baseball cap is working on the structures in various poses.The title text is in yellow at the top with small red subtitle text below. The author’s name is in small blue text at the bottom.

5. Chooch Helped by Andrea L. Rogers. A peach-colored background features the illustration of two children: A girl in a yellow patterned dress next to a smaller child in blue overalls standing on a stool pouring water into a basket from a gray watering can. Small birdlike silhouettes and star shapes float in the background. The title text is dark brown at the top with the author’s name below it in small blue text.

6. Once For Yes by Allie Millington. A blue and orange background features a city landscape. A figure with curly red hair sits by a window with their arms around their knees. The yellow title text is above the figure. The author’s name is in smaller yellow text at the bottom.

7. Everything is Predictable; How Bayesian Statistics Explain our World by Tom Chivers. A black chalkboard-style background features a mathematical equation drawn in yellow chalk and circled in white chalk with arrows pointing to it. The title and subtitle text are in yellow around the equation with the author’s name in white chalk-style text at the top.

8. I Heard There Was a Secret Chord; Music as Medicine by Daniel J. Levitin. A closeup illustration of a guitar’s soundhole. The white title text is within the hole with the light brown wood of the guitar surrounding it. A small white sound wave line runs below the title and the subtitle in yellow text is below the line. The author’s name is in curved black text above the soundhole.

06/13/2025

Heads up that we will be closed next Tuesday, June 17th due to a water shutoff. Librarians will be available virtually in all the usual places. Start at the Ask a Librarian page on the website if you need help finding us. We'll see you again in person on Wednesday (with new pipes serving the nearby dorms)!

Image description: A cream flyer with the words "F. W. Olin Library will be closed Tuesday, June 17th due to water shutoff" written in mustard and green.

06/11/2025

to share!

Image descriptions: Photos of 6 book covers propped up on a shelf in the library. The circulation desk in the softly-lit library is seen in the background.

1. Motivation Myth Busters; Science-Based Strategies to Boost Motivation in Yourself and Others by Wendy S. Grolnick, Benjamin C. Heddy, and Frank C. Worrell, PhDs. A white background with a stylized green rocket ship graphic and blue flame elements. Bold black title text overlays the rocket. The subtitle is in small black text at the top. The authors’ names are in small black text below.

2. Inspire to Lead by Christie Chung. A bright red background with a beige light bulb made of gears as the central image. The title combines beige and black text below. The subtitle is in small beige text below. The author’s name is in black text along the top.

3. Everything is Tuberculosis; The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green. A bright yellow background with an orange circle and green triangle shape in the center. The title is in large black text at the top. The author’s name is in the same text at the bottom. The subtitle is in green text within the orange circle.

4. The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud. A gradient purple background showing four diverse cartoon children. One child jumps excitedly holding pencils, while others hold notebooks and art supplies. The title is in white text above the illustration and the authors’ names appear in dark purple text at the top.

5. The Science of Beauty; Debunk the Myths and Discover What Goes into Your Beauty Routine by Dr. Michelle Wong. A gradient background transitioning from orange to blue with water droplets across the surface. The black title text is in the middle with the subtitle in smaller text below. The author’s name is in small black text along the bottom.

6. The Coming Wave; AI, Power, and our Future by Mustafa Suleyman with Michael Bhaskar. A holographic background with radiating white lines creating a starburst effect. The large black title text is in the center with the subtitle in smaller text above. The author’s name is at the bottom in the same black text.

06/06/2025

Come check out the display! There are lots of great titles to choose from. We look forward to celebrating with you all month long!❤💛💚💙💜

Image description: Five photos of library books arranged in and around a display case. The colorful book covers are facing the viewer. Graphic elements include rainbows and banners in rainbow colors.

06/04/2025

New Books to share! All are available on the shelves of the .

Image descriptions: Photos of 7 book covers propped up on a shelf in the library. The circulation desk in the softly-lit library is seen in the background.

1. Key to the City; How Zoning Shapes Our World by Sara C. Bronin. A light gray background with a subtle street grid pattern. A gold circular street map is in the center. The title text in dark gray overlays the image in the center. The subtitle is in small dark gray text at the top. The author's name is in the same style text at the bottom.

2. Feeling at Home; Transforming the Politics of Housing by Alva Gotby. Photograph of a white picket fence with a leafy green hedge behind. White title and author text appears in the upper left and right corners. The subtitle is in the same white text along the bottom.

3. The New Empire of AI; The Future of Global Inequality by Rachel Adams. A white background with bold the red title text centered in the middle. Black subtitle text appears below. A minimalist black line drawing of a world map with network connections spans the bottom. The author’s name is in black text at the top.

4. The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill. A cream background with decorative brown border featuring butterfly motifs. An illustrated character with orange-brown hair and a green scarf holds out hands toward a green glowing butterly. Stylized brown text appears at the top right. The author’s name is displayed in a small nameplate design below.

5. What’s for Dessert; Simple Recipes for Dessert People by Claire Saffitz. Photograph featuring chocolate batter being mixed in a mint green bowl with a spatula on a purplish-oink background. The title is in white text along the top. The subtitle is in curved text along the right side of the bowl. The author’s name is in white text at the bottom.

6. Black Panther Woman; The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins by Mary Frances Phillips. A black and white photograph of a Black person with an afro hairstyle, laughing and wearing dangling earrings. The title and subtitle text are white and overlay the image. The author's name is at the bottom in the same white text.

6. Black Panther Woman; The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins by Mary Frances Phillips. A black and white photograph of a Black person with an afro hairstyle, laughing and wearing dangling earrings. The title and subtitle text are white and overlay the image. The author's name is at the bottom in the same white text.

7. Careless People; A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams. An off-white background with large black title text at the top and the subtitle in smaller text below. A blue square like a mousepad with a small gray shark fin emerging from it is in the center. The author’s name is in black text at the bottom.

05/28/2025

New books to share! All titles are available on the shelves at the "FWOlinLibrary.

Image descriptions: Photos of 4 book covers propped up on a shelf in the library. The circulation desk in the softly-lit library is seen in the background.

1. We Tried to Tell Y’All; Black Twitter and the Rise of Digital Counternarratives by Meredith D. Clark. Bright blue background featuring a black silhouette of the Twitter bird logo with bold white title text across it. The author's name appears at the top in black text and the subtitle at the bottom.

2. Magical Realism; Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy, and Borders by Vanessa Angélica Villarreal. Gradient background in pink, orange, yellow and blue tones with a semi-transparent black circular center featuring a silver sword dropping or rising to an outstretched hand. The title appears in large pink text at the top. The bottom of the cover shows colorful flowers against a fence design. The edges of the cover are made to look like a worn paperback wrapped in plastic.

3. Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa and translated by Polly Barton. Minimalist gray-blue background with the title displayed vertically in large white letters along the left side. The center features an abstract orange-red curved shape resembling a bent form. The author’s name is in pink text at the top with the translator’s name in smaller gray text below.

4. Stag Dance by Torrey Peters. Vibrant pink title text overlaid on a vintage-style illustration of two deer with antlers—one adorned with a pink bow on their antler and their tongue sticking out. The background is a warm beige tone. The author’s name is in pink text below the title.

05/21/2025

New books to share! Find them on the new books shelves in the .

Image descriptions: Photos of 4 book covers propped up on a shelf in the library. The circulation desk in the softly-lit library is seen in the background.

1. How to Train a Happy Mind; A Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment by Scott Snibbe. Divided into four color blocks: cream, pink, green, and yellow. A stylized eye logo in blue and cream sits on the pink section. The title is in large beige text with the subtitle in red. The author’s name is in blue text. A red sunburst graphic decorates the yellow section at the bottom of the cover.

2. Nahual; The Roleplaying Game by Miguel Ángel Espinoza. Dark background with intricate green, swirling tribal-style designs framing the top edges. Central illustration features a mystical creature wearing a ceremonial mask and is rendered in dark browns and golden tones. The creature holds a knife and sits upon a white, winged creature. The title are author’s name are in white text.

3. Two Truths and a Lie by Cory O’Brien. Gradient background transitioning from deep red to bright orange. A large metallic bee is centrally positioned in the silhouette of a bald human head. The title and author’s name are in large white text.

4. The Guarantee; Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy by Natalie Foster. A black background features the title text in bold orange. The subtitle is in black text on blocks of orange, yellow, and green. The author’s name is in green text below.

05/16/2025

New books to share! Find them on the New Books shelf in the library.

Image descriptions: Photos of 3 book covers propped up on a shelf in the library. The circulation desk in the softly-lit library is seen in the background.

1. Warhammer 40,000; Core Book published by Games Workshop. Cover features a dark, dramatic battle scene with armored warriors in blue and black engaged in combat against an explosive orange and yellow fiery background with beams of light streaming down. The Warhammer 40,000 logo appears at the top in metallic silver against a black banner. The bottom of the cover features white text reading: ‘Core Book’ and ‘In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war’.

2. Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld. A photograph of dark ocean water with a person floating on their back in the bottom right corner. The title is in yellow text at the top with the author's name in white text in the middle.

3. Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo. A soft-colored pink, orange and yellow background with swirling patterns features the illustration of a young Asian girl with black hair and bangs. She smiles while holding chopsticks and a dumpling. In front of her is an open lunchbox. Food illustrations float around the edges of the cover. The title appears in red text at the top while the author’s name is in small black text at the bottom.

05/13/2025

Hey sci-fi fans! Reference Librarian Matthew has a recommendation to share: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. If you have are recommendation for , use the link in bio to let us know about it. We may just share it here!

Matthew says: Follow a group of space miners in their quest to make ends meet in a galaxy filled with good people trying to make their way despite underhanded power structures. Along the way, the crew will have to pull together around their biggest job yet or risk losing everything. If you like a story with characters who grow in an organic, well fleshed out world, then you will enjoy The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet.

Image description: A red spaceship flies through space with a small brown planet in the background. The title is in large green text and the name of the author is in smaller yellow text below.

Address

5000 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA
94613

Telephone

+15104302385

Website

https://bit.ly/m/FWOlinLinks, http://library.northeastern.edu/

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