Kresge Library

What Kresge Library does

Kresge Library is the main academic library of Oakland University, a public university located in Rochester, Michigan. It serves the Oakland University community — students, faculty, researchers, and staff — through a single on-campus facility at 100 Library Drive and a complementary digital portal. The library provides research assistance, instruction support, scholarly communication services, research data support, and access to physical and digital collections, alongside patron spaces including group and individual study rooms, meeting rooms, a Makerspace, and a Reflection and Wellness Room.

The library's core technology is the EBSCOhost-powered Library OneSearch platform, which enables unified discovery across articles, books, journals, and electronic resources. Access is delivered through IP-based recognition and single sign-on tied to Oakland University credentials. Supporting platforms include LibCal for room reservations, LibGuides for subject/course guides, and a separate medical library site (medlib.oakland.edu) for health-sciences content. The library maintains a digital presence via Facebook and Instagram and produces an ongoing news and events feed.

Kresge Library operates as a non-profit service unit within Oakland University and is funded through institutional budgets and government appropriations. It does not charge users directly, has no independent pricing model, and has no external commercial revenue. Its only disclosed external commercial relationship is a core technology partnership with EBSCOhost, which underpins its discovery, database, and account-management infrastructure.

Name

Kresge Library

Legal name

Oakland University

Website

https://library.oakland.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kresge Library is the main academic library of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, providing research support, electronic databases, study spaces, a Makerspace, and archival collections to the university's students, faculty, and staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAEAGAB

Academic & Research Library Operations (College/University Libraries)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

SECONDARYEDAEAGAF

Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

Keywords

• Academic library services
• Research databases access
• Scholarly communication support
• Archives and special collections
• Interlibrary loan services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: As an academic library within Oakland University, Kresge Library operates as a non-profit service unit funded through university budgets and government appropriations. Services are provided at no direct cost to students, faculty, and staff.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kresge Library is the main academic library of Oakland University, providing physical and digital collections, electronic research databases, archives and special collections, and course-related services (Course Reserves, Affordable Course Materials Initiative). It operates physical spaces including group study rooms, individual study rooms, meeting rooms, a makerspace, and a reflection and wellness room, alongside research support services such as Research Data Support, Interlibrary Loan, scholarly communication, and an Artificial Intelligence Guide.

Product overview

Kresge Library is an academic library at Oakland University offering a comprehensive suite of information and research services organized around its central Library OneSearch discovery platform, which enables unified searching across articles, books, and journals. The library provides access to multiple electronic databases, archival and special collections, and course-related services including Course Reserves and the Affordable Course Materials Initiative. Physical and virtual spaces include Group/Individual Study Rooms, Meeting Rooms, a Makerspace, and the Library of Things for loanable equipment. Research support services encompass Research Data Support, Interlibrary Loan, and an Artificial Intelligence Guide. This integrated ecosystem serves the academic community through combined digital resources, physical facilities, and specialized services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library OneSearch Central discovery platform enabling users to search across articles, books, journals, and other library resources simultaneously through a unified search interface, powered by EBSCOhost. Available to Oakland University students, faculty, and staff via institutional credentials.
• Databases Collection of electronic research databases providing access to scholarly articles, journals, publications, and other digital content for academic research. Accessible through institutional credentials.
• Archives Historical records and archival materials preserved by the library for research and scholarly purposes, curated for academic study and historical inquiry.
• Special Collections Unique and rare materials, manuscripts, and distinctive holdings curated for specialized research and academic study.
• Course Reserves Materials designated by faculty for specific course use, making essential readings and resources accessible to enrolled students.
• Library of Things Collection of loanable non-traditional items including equipment, gadgets, and tools available for patron checkout beyond traditional library materials.
• Makerspace Collaborative workspace providing access to tools, technology, and equipment for hands-on learning, prototyping, and creative projects.
• Group Study Rooms Reserved spaces designed for collaborative learning, group discussions, and team project work within the library facility.
• Individual Study Rooms Private spaces for focused individual study, research work, and quiet contemplation available for reservation.
• Meeting Rooms Bookable spaces for academic meetings, presentations, workshops, and institutional events within the library.
• Interlibrary Loan Service enabling patrons to borrow materials from other libraries when items are not available in the local collection.
• Research Data Support Assistance services helping researchers manage, organize, analyze, and preserve research data throughout the research lifecycle.
• Artificial Intelligence Guide Curated informational resource and guide to artificial intelligence topics, tools, and applications for library patrons.
• Affordable Course Materials Initiative Program aimed at reducing textbook and course material costs for students through resource sharing and alternative material options.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• EBSCOhostcoreTechnology or IntegrationEBSCOhost provides the Library OneSearch platform, database access, publication finder, and library account systems. Students, faculty and staff access these resources through institutional credentials (IP-based access and SSO authentication).

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• OCLC (WorldCat): Library cooperative that operates WorldCat and shared cataloging infrastructure. Enabling infrastructure peer — the shared catalog and discovery backbone that academic libraries, including Kresge, depend on for interlibrary loan and resource sharing.
• LYRASIS: Non-profit library consortium providing shared technology and content services to academic libraries. Comparable as an enabling ecosystem peer: Kresge and peer institutions rely on similar shared-services providers for discovery and electronic resources.
• Ex Libris (Clarivate): Provider of academic library management systems (Alma, Primo, Summon). Adjacent infrastructure peer representing the class of vendors academic libraries depend on for discovery and resource management — comparable to Kresge's EBSCOhost stack.

Broad incumbents

• Big Ten Academic Alliance: Consortium of major research university libraries. Kresge participates indirectly through shared infrastructure like interlibrary loan; relevant benchmark for how academic libraries coordinate discovery, licensing, and shared services.
• Ohio State University Libraries: Larger-scale Big Ten public university library. Comparable in structure and offerings but with materially greater resources, collections, and specialization, representing what Kresge could scale into within a public-university framework.

Direct peers

• University of Michigan Library: Major Michigan public university library system. Most directly comparable academic library in the state, operating with overlapping services (archives, research support, makerspaces, electronic resources) for a much larger user base.
• Eastern Michigan University Library: Michigan public university library of comparable scale to Oakland. Closely comparable in size, mission, and service portfolio, and a relevant benchmark for what an academic library of similar footprint delivers.
• Western Michigan University Libraries: Another Michigan public university library system. Direct peer operating the same academic-library model with digital discovery, archives, and research services for a public-university community.
• Wayne State University Library System: Michigan public urban research university library. Direct peer serving a similar public-university community in Michigan, with overlapping services in research support, archives, and electronic resource access.
• Michigan State University Libraries: Another large Michigan public university library. Directly comparable in mission and operating model, with extensive archives, special collections, and digital resource infrastructure serving a comparable public-university community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/20003074736
• Instagraminstagram.com/ou_libraries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kresge-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kresge Library