With its roots in alchemy, chemistry is the science of transformation. The literature of chemistry reflects this characteristic, constantly changing in a variety of ways. An example is the adoption of elements from physics into chemistry. Quantum chemistry is now a respected and intellectually rich area of chemistry. Traditionally divided into organic and inorganic chemistry, chemistry also has areas of intellectual activity such as analytical chemistry and physical chemistry.
Chemists publish most often in journals and in short bursts of information. A chemical journal article might not be more than one or two pages in printed form. Some people have accused chemists of publication of LPUs (least publishable unit). Those who make the claim generally come from disciplines where the publication has a double-digit page length.
Journal articles and conference proceedings are the stuff of chemistry. In this respect, chemistry is like other areas. Where it differs is in the control of its literature. Whether chemists simply understood that their literature needed to be controlled or whether the institutions of controls were unintended, chemistry is better controlled bibliographically than any other scientific discipline. Chemical Abstracts is one of the premier abstracting and indexing services in the world. Within chemistry, it is the premier abstracting and indexing service. Because chemists publish in small components, a consequence of this publication characteristic is that they publish a great deal. Chemical Abstracts does an excellent job of gathering this information and making it available to the research world.
One problem related to bibliographic control in chemistry is particularly vexing. Chemistry is often very graphic; that is, chemical equations are often paired with chemical structures. The highly graphical nature of chemistry is handled reasonably well by databases within the Chemical Abstracts Service (now CAS) umbrella. The ability to search by chemical structure is one of the more interesting and innovative means of bibliographic control in science and technology. Chemists share many of the same problems with others in science, specifically, the lag time in journal publication. To counter this problem, chemistry enrages an intermediary publication, a letters journal. Letters journals are used to report findings that will soon be published. In effect, chemists use such journals to announce forthcoming papers. This technique significantly shortens the period from discovery to dissemination.
The relative shortness of chemistry papers either as letters or as articles suggests that electronic journals are a solution to the burgeoning chemical literature. However, although there are some extant examples, the use of letters journals seem to mitigate the need for electronic journals. There is a second reason, hinted as above, why chemistry will move more slowly into the electronic journal. Graphics-intensive material is difficult to convert into electronic form. The secondary literature is much more susceptible to conversion.
Changes in chemistry will come mainly from the movement of other fields into the main intellectual body of chemistry. A current example is the use of Riemann surfaces to describe and model certain chemical structures. The chemist must not only know the basics of chemistry but also have a passing understanding of some complicated mathematics.
Additional changes in chemistry will come from its melding with other disciplines. Biochemistry is one example. The entrance of other disciplines and techniques into chemistry will spread its literature to those other disciplines. The result will be a richer discipline but greater difficulty for bibliographic control of the field.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Chemistry
Hurt, C. D. Informational sources in science and technology. 3rd ed. Englewood, Colo. : Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp. 101-102
Monday, July 18, 2016
Our Environment
Our Environment: Part 1, General Sources http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/sep02/keiser.htm
Monday, July 11, 2016
Environmental sciences
Hurt, C.D. Informational Sources in Science and Technology, 3rd Ed. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp.117-118.
Environmental sciences
Environmental sciences
The environmental sciences are a mixture of disciplines. In a number of ways, they typify science and its development. The environmental sciences combine the intellectual content of several disciplines into a new discipline. A consequence is that defining environmental sciences should be done with care. The terms will mean different things to different people.
The main constituents in environmental sciences are chemistry, biology, zoology, geoscience, ecology, and the engineering fields. To its credit, the environmental sciences incorporated these fields in a very short time and with remarkable continuity. Early in the 1970s a variety of scientists and technologists were publishing in newly established environmental sciences journals. The field was hot, and some researchers in chemistry, biology, and other fields found it easier to publish in journals that were new and hungry for solid papers. The environmental sciences were also a hot area for federally funded research in the early 1970s and beyond. The combination of funding and movement into an area perceived as fast-moving and cutting-edge was very attractive to some researchers.
The downturn in federal funding and the maturing of the discipline has tended to stabilize the field. It is still a field made up of persons who, for the most part, were trained in other disciplines. Because of their relative youth, the environmental sciences are predominately journal-driven with heavy reliance on conferences to assist in pulling the literature together. Monographs are being written, but fewer than in other fields.
One bibliographic consequence of the environmental sciences’ use of such a variety of literature is difficulty with finding and controlling that literature. The environmental sciences were lucky, however. The expansion of the field came at a time when funding for abstracting and indexing services were available and when computerized indexing and automation techniques were becoming widely used in the secondary literature. Environmental Abstracts is an example of an abstracting and indexing tool.
The future for the environmental sciences is one of maturation. This means there will be some consolidation of journals and secondary sources. It means an expansion in some areas of the field, with a concomitant increase in the number of journals and the inevitable lag time for the material to find its way into the secondary literature.
In using the material below, the reader must exercise more caution than in any other area of science and technology. The researcher or reference librarian must note that in more cases than not, there is a parallel literature in another discipline in addition to that found in the environmental sciences.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Environmental science readings, abstracts, indexes, online resources and guides
Environmental Science
Readings
Environment. From The Canadian Encyclopedia http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/environment
Check out links to other sites section http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/environment/#SUBLinks
Hurt, C.D. Informational Sources in Science and Technology, 3rd Ed. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp117-118.
Safyan, SA. Access to information for environmentalists: a library perspective. Canadian Library Journal 47: 337-43.
Abstracts, Indexes, etc.
Energy, Science and Technology Information at the Office of Scientific and Technical Information http://www.osti.gov/home/
U.S. Department of Energy Web site with links to following searchable databases:
* Information Bridge and Energy Citations http://www.osti.gov/scitech/
Information Bridge is a searchable index and full text database of all research done by and for the Department of Energy since 1995, with projects in biology, environment, physics, chemistry, and engineering.
Energy Citations includes bibliographic records of literature in disciplines of interest to U.S. Department of Energy such as chemistry, physics, materials, environmental science, geology, engineering, mathematics, climatology, oceanography, computer science and related disciplines. It includes citations to report literature, conference papers, journal articles, books, dissertations, and patents. The Database provides access to DOE publicly available citations from 1958 through the present.
* E-print Network http://www.osti.gov/home/RETIRED/eprints.html
Documents that researchers circulate electronically in advance or in lieu of publication.
Forest History Society. Environmental History Bibliography. https://web.archive.org/web/20050304152550/http://www.lib.duke.edu/forest/Research/biblio.html
Contains over 35,000 annotated citations to books, articles, and dissertations published from 1633 to the present.
Manitoba Conservation. Library Services. http://web.archive.org/web/20031206114228/http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/library/
Web site of Conservation and Environment Library.
Online Resources and Guides
*Keiser, BE. Our environment: part 1, general sources. Searcher [Internet]. 2002 [cited June 3, 2016]; 10(8):[about 16 p.]Available from: http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/sep02/keiser.htm
Keiser, BE. Our environment: part 2, governments, laws, and organizations. Searcher [Internet]. 2002 [cited June 3, 2016]; 10 (10):[about 11 p.]. Available from http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/nov02/keiser.htm
Keiser, BE. Our environment: part 3, the science and technology. Searcher [Internet]. 2002 [cited June 3, 2016]; 11 (2):[about 5 p.]. Available from http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/feb03/keiser.shtml
The Electronic Green Journal https://web.archive.org/web/20110410132630/http://egj.lib.uidaho.edu/
Provides peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, news, and information on current printed and electronic sources concerning international environmental topics.
EnviroLink http://www.envirolink.org/
Joint site from EnviroLink Network, Animal Concerns Community, and others. Maintains a database of thousands of environmental resources.
Environment Canada. http://www.ec.gc.ca/
A comprehensive site devoted to the environment: acts and regulations; conferences and events; programs and services, including clean air, water, climate change, environmental assessment and enforcement, chemical safety, pollution, endangered species, etc.; and related links.
Environmental Research and Studies Centre. University of Alberta. http://www.ualberta.ca/~ersc/ERSC1.html
This comprehensive resource and links site is designed for:
Scientists seeking information on environmental research programs and researchers;
Students seeking information about environmental studies programs, courses, and careers;
Teachers seeking science-based resource materials for their classrooms;
Citizens seeking information about current environmental issues in Alberta, Canada and the World.
Environmental Studies and Sciences http://libguides.uwinnipeg.ca/environmental
The Greenpages.ca http://www.thegreenpages.ca/
Developed to help students find and access environment related information by collecting and organizing it into one resource. It is a collection of Canadian and international environment-related links to the World Wide Web. All links have been categorized into recognizable themes on how we impact our surroundings.
International Institute for Sustainable Development http://www.iisd.org/
IISD promotes the transition towards a sustainable future. We seek to demonstrate how human ingenuity can be applied to improve the well-being of the environment, economy, and society.
Sustainable Development Timeline http://www.iisd.org/sites/default/files/publications/sd_timeline_2012.pdf
Internet Public Library. Environmental Sciences and Ecology http://www.ipl.org/IPLBrowse/GetSubject?vid=13&cid=1&tid=7136&parent=7115
Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators – Environmental Science https://web.archive.org/web/20041205005355/http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/sci-tech/scien.html
Canada’s School Net Learning Resources http://web.archive.org/web/20050207200805/http://www.schoolnet.ca/home/e/resources/index_cur.asp
Librarians’ Index to the Internet: Environment https://web.archive.org/web/20050211084025/http://lii.org/search/file/environ
Manitoba Conservation http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/
Conservation Data Centre http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/cdc/
The Manitoba Conservation Data Centre (MBCDC) is a storehouse of information on Manitoba’s biodiversity – its plant and animal species, as well as its natural plant communities.
McGill University Libraries. Environmental Studies http://libraryguides.mcgill.ca/environmental-studies See also Subject Guide: Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences http://libraryguides.mcgill.ca/atmospheric-and-oceanic-sciences
State of the Environment Infobase https://web.archive.org/web/20090305073944/http://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/default.cfm
The State of the Environment Infobase was administered by the National Indicators and Reporting Office, and presented Environment Canada’s work on state of the environment reporting and environmental indicators – designed to translate science and data into information and knowledge that can be used.
Vaughan Memorial Library. Environmental Science Research Guide – Reference Sources http://libguides.acadiau.ca/envs
Lists both print and online resources.
Environmental disasters Disasters https://web.archive.org/web/20111206041535/http://bubl.ac.uk/link/d/disasters.htm
Disaster! Finder https://web.archive.org/web/20090201010531/http://disasterfinder.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Disaster Finder was a service developed and maintained by NASA, Solid Earth and Natural Hazards Program (Code YO), NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., USA. This service was created for the disaster community at-large so that the best links in disaster information could be found quickly and easily.
Natural Disaster References Database https://web.archive.org/web/20090222150246/http://ndrd.gsfc.nasa.gov/
A bibliographic database on research, programs, and results which relate to the use of satellite remote sensing for disaster mitigation. The NDRD was compiled and abstracted from articles published from 1981 to January 2000.
Core collections EPA Core List for an Environmental Reference Collection http://www2.epa.gov/libraries/core-list-environmental-reference-collection
A listing of information resources in the areas of environmental protection, management, and science as selected by librarians supporting the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Readings
Environment. From The Canadian Encyclopedia http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/environment
Check out links to other sites section http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/environment/#SUBLinks
Hurt, C.D. Informational Sources in Science and Technology, 3rd Ed. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp117-118.
Safyan, SA. Access to information for environmentalists: a library perspective. Canadian Library Journal 47: 337-43.
Abstracts, Indexes, etc.
Energy, Science and Technology Information at the Office of Scientific and Technical Information http://www.osti.gov/home/
U.S. Department of Energy Web site with links to following searchable databases:
* Information Bridge and Energy Citations http://www.osti.gov/scitech/
Information Bridge is a searchable index and full text database of all research done by and for the Department of Energy since 1995, with projects in biology, environment, physics, chemistry, and engineering.
Energy Citations includes bibliographic records of literature in disciplines of interest to U.S. Department of Energy such as chemistry, physics, materials, environmental science, geology, engineering, mathematics, climatology, oceanography, computer science and related disciplines. It includes citations to report literature, conference papers, journal articles, books, dissertations, and patents. The Database provides access to DOE publicly available citations from 1958 through the present.
* E-print Network http://www.osti.gov/home/RETIRED/eprints.html
Documents that researchers circulate electronically in advance or in lieu of publication.
Forest History Society. Environmental History Bibliography. https://web.archive.org/web/20050304152550/http://www.lib.duke.edu/forest/Research/biblio.html
Contains over 35,000 annotated citations to books, articles, and dissertations published from 1633 to the present.
Manitoba Conservation. Library Services. http://web.archive.org/web/20031206114228/http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/library/
Web site of Conservation and Environment Library.
Online Resources and Guides
*Keiser, BE. Our environment: part 1, general sources. Searcher [Internet]. 2002 [cited June 3, 2016]; 10(8):[about 16 p.]Available from: http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/sep02/keiser.htm
Keiser, BE. Our environment: part 2, governments, laws, and organizations. Searcher [Internet]. 2002 [cited June 3, 2016]; 10 (10):[about 11 p.]. Available from http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/nov02/keiser.htm
Keiser, BE. Our environment: part 3, the science and technology. Searcher [Internet]. 2002 [cited June 3, 2016]; 11 (2):[about 5 p.]. Available from http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/feb03/keiser.shtml
The Electronic Green Journal https://web.archive.org/web/20110410132630/http://egj.lib.uidaho.edu/
Provides peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, news, and information on current printed and electronic sources concerning international environmental topics.
EnviroLink http://www.envirolink.org/
Joint site from EnviroLink Network, Animal Concerns Community, and others. Maintains a database of thousands of environmental resources.
Environment Canada. http://www.ec.gc.ca/
A comprehensive site devoted to the environment: acts and regulations; conferences and events; programs and services, including clean air, water, climate change, environmental assessment and enforcement, chemical safety, pollution, endangered species, etc.; and related links.
Environmental Research and Studies Centre. University of Alberta. http://www.ualberta.ca/~ersc/ERSC1.html
This comprehensive resource and links site is designed for:
Scientists seeking information on environmental research programs and researchers;
Students seeking information about environmental studies programs, courses, and careers;
Teachers seeking science-based resource materials for their classrooms;
Citizens seeking information about current environmental issues in Alberta, Canada and the World.
Environmental Studies and Sciences http://libguides.uwinnipeg.ca/environmental
The Greenpages.ca http://www.thegreenpages.ca/
Developed to help students find and access environment related information by collecting and organizing it into one resource. It is a collection of Canadian and international environment-related links to the World Wide Web. All links have been categorized into recognizable themes on how we impact our surroundings.
International Institute for Sustainable Development http://www.iisd.org/
IISD promotes the transition towards a sustainable future. We seek to demonstrate how human ingenuity can be applied to improve the well-being of the environment, economy, and society.
Sustainable Development Timeline http://www.iisd.org/sites/default/files/publications/sd_timeline_2012.pdf
Internet Public Library. Environmental Sciences and Ecology http://www.ipl.org/IPLBrowse/GetSubject?vid=13&cid=1&tid=7136&parent=7115
Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators – Environmental Science https://web.archive.org/web/20041205005355/http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/sci-tech/scien.html
Canada’s School Net Learning Resources http://web.archive.org/web/20050207200805/http://www.schoolnet.ca/home/e/resources/index_cur.asp
Librarians’ Index to the Internet: Environment https://web.archive.org/web/20050211084025/http://lii.org/search/file/environ
Manitoba Conservation http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/
Conservation Data Centre http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/cdc/
The Manitoba Conservation Data Centre (MBCDC) is a storehouse of information on Manitoba’s biodiversity – its plant and animal species, as well as its natural plant communities.
McGill University Libraries. Environmental Studies http://libraryguides.mcgill.ca/environmental-studies See also Subject Guide: Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences http://libraryguides.mcgill.ca/atmospheric-and-oceanic-sciences
State of the Environment Infobase https://web.archive.org/web/20090305073944/http://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/default.cfm
The State of the Environment Infobase was administered by the National Indicators and Reporting Office, and presented Environment Canada’s work on state of the environment reporting and environmental indicators – designed to translate science and data into information and knowledge that can be used.
Vaughan Memorial Library. Environmental Science Research Guide – Reference Sources http://libguides.acadiau.ca/envs
Lists both print and online resources.
Environmental disasters Disasters https://web.archive.org/web/20111206041535/http://bubl.ac.uk/link/d/disasters.htm
Disaster! Finder https://web.archive.org/web/20090201010531/http://disasterfinder.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Disaster Finder was a service developed and maintained by NASA, Solid Earth and Natural Hazards Program (Code YO), NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., USA. This service was created for the disaster community at-large so that the best links in disaster information could be found quickly and easily.
Natural Disaster References Database https://web.archive.org/web/20090222150246/http://ndrd.gsfc.nasa.gov/
A bibliographic database on research, programs, and results which relate to the use of satellite remote sensing for disaster mitigation. The NDRD was compiled and abstracted from articles published from 1981 to January 2000.
Core collections EPA Core List for an Environmental Reference Collection http://www2.epa.gov/libraries/core-list-environmental-reference-collection
A listing of information resources in the areas of environmental protection, management, and science as selected by librarians supporting the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Environmental science
Environmental sciences
- LCSH
- Here are entered works on the composite of physical, biological, and social sciences concerned with the conditions of the environment and their effects.
- Works on the interrelationship of organisms and their environment, including other organisms are entered under Ecology. Works on the relationship of humans to the natural environment are entered under Human ecology. Works on the relationship of humans to their sociocultural environment are entered under Social ecology.
“Environmental Science comprises those disciplines, or parts of them, that consider the physical, chemical and biological aspects of the environment. Like the earth and life sciences, it transcends disciplinary boundaries and is concerned with the interactions among processes each of which is best described by a particular discipline. It is the study of natural cycles and systems and their components.”
Allaby, M. Basics of Environmental Science. 1996
“Study of how we and other species interact with each other and with the nonliving environment of matter and energy. It is a holistic science that uses and integrates knowledge from physics, chemistry, biology (especially ecology), geology, resource technology and engineering, resource conservation and management, demography, economics, politics and ethics.”
Miller. Living in the Environment.
“Environmental Science is the application of scientific knowledge from many disciplines to issues and questions relating to the rapidly increasing population, the sustainability of resource use, degradation caused by pollution and disturbance, and the endangerment and extinction of species and natural systems. As such, it is not geology, zoology, chemistry, or mathematics; it integrates all these disciplines as well as many more.”
Environmental Science Program. University of Manitoba.
“The systematic, scientific study of our environment as well as our role in it.”
Cunningham & Saigo. Environmental Science: A Global Concern.
Ecology: the relationship of an organism or group of organisms to their environment.
Environmental science
- The study of environmental science includes the fields of ecology, geophysics, geochemistry, forestry, public health, meteorology, agriculture, oceanography, soil science, and mining, civil, petroleum, and power engineering.
- Highly interdisciplinary o integrating natural science, social sciences, and humanities in a broad, holistic study of the world around us
- Mission-oriented, problem solving o Seeks new knowledge about (and impacts of humans on) the natural world
- Identifies solutions to environmental problems
- These solutions often involve human social systems as well as natural science
Recognizing human misuse of nature is not unique to modern times.
Plato (4th century B.C.) wrote about how the people of Greece turned their country into a “skeleton of a body wasted by disease.”
“The problems that overwhelm us today are precisely those we failed to solve decades ago.” M. K. Tolba (199?), former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.
Some of the earliest scientific studies of environmental damage were carried out in the eighteenth century by:
- Stephen Hales (British) – suggested conservation of green plants preserved rainfall (1764).
- Pierre Poiver (French) – developed forest reserves on Mauritius (1769),
George Perkins Marsh – Man and Nature (1864)
- Warned of ecological damage from destruction of forest resources. Establishment of National Forest Reserve (1873).
Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot (circa 1905)
- Framework for national forest, park, and refuge system
- Pinchot promoted the conservation of natural resources to provide for the “greatest good, for the greatest number (of people) for the longest time.”
- “The first principle of conservation is development and use of the natural resources now existing on this continent for the benefit of the people who live here now. There may be just as much waste in neglecting the development and use of certain natural resources as there is in their destruction.” (Pinchot)
Preserving nature on the basis of moral and aesthetic values has been termed biocentric or “altruistic” preservation
“The world, we are told, was made for man. A presumption that is totally unsupported by the facts… Nature’s object in making animals and plants might possibly be first of all the happiness of each one of them… Why ought man to value himself as more than an infinitely small unit of the one great unit of creation?”
John Muir, geologist, author and the first president of the Sierra Club
Nature deserves to exist for its own sake.
Often at odds with Utilitarian Conservation approach.
Modern environmentalism
Modern industrial expansion and development of domestic and defense-related chemicals during and after the Second World War created a new set of environmental problems.
1962: Rachel Carlson, Silent Spring http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OVP/24hours/carlson.html
Carlson wrote about chemical pollution and the threats posed to humans and other species.
- Wrote about chemical pollution and the threats posed to humans and other species
- Her warnings awakened the public and engendered a movement of environmentalism, extending previous concerns to include both environmental resources and pollution
- Developed for activists, litigation, intervention in regulatory process, use of mass media, promotion of scientific research
1971: Greenpeace founded in B.C.
1972: first Earth Summit
1987: Brundtland Report Our Common Future
- established the foundation for all future work on sustainable development
1992: Rio Earth Summit
- produced a number of conventions:
- Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
- Agenda 21: The United Nations Program of Action from Rio
- Convention on Biological Diversity
- Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Statement of Forest Principles
Issues
- Pre 1960s pollution issues largely concerned with health
- 1960s public awakening to environmental issues usually local in scale
- late 1970s regional, more complex problems
- 1980s on, global issues
- Planet Earth
- Environmental dilemmas
- Population
- Food shortages
- Energy
- Pollution
- Human population growth
- Atomic weapons testing
- Atomic power
- Fossil fuel extraction and use
- Recycling
- Air and water pollution
- The movement of global environmentalism recognizes that we must be concerned with the life support system of the whole planet.
- Leaders of this movement have been central in bringing global issues to the forefront of the public’s attention
- 1992 U.N. “Earth Summit” – international cooperation and awareness of the need for global environmentalism
- Rich vs. poor
- North vs. South
- Developed countries vs. Undeveloped countries
- First, second, third and fourth countries
- Environmental groups
- Grey literature
- Produces reports and brochures
- Government
- Multiple levels (federal, provincial, municipal, international)
- Multiple departments/agencies
- Obstacles to access include scattering of information, grey literature
- Report literature, particularly government reports, can be valuable
- Scientific sources
- Question of reliability/interpretation
- Corporate sources
- E.g. businesses such as Shell
- Bias
- The media
- TV and newspapers major source of information on the environment, along with the Internet. Do you trust them anymore?
- Term employed by businesses and advertisers
- Idea is being environmentally friendly
- Many environmentalists argue that ‘green consumerism’ is a self-contradicting term, and believe that the goal should be to reduce consumption, not merely redefine it. https://web.archive.org/web/20100411194140/http://www.bsdglobal.com/markets/eco_label_challenges.asp
- The “Greens” an environmental movement influential in European politics
Monday, June 20, 2016
Chemistry
Malinowsky, H. R. Reference Sources in Science, Engineering, Medicine and Agriculture. Phoenix, Ariz. : Oryx Press, 1994. pp. 41.
Chemistry is a well-structured science based on historical discoveries developed with the help of mathematics and physics. Pertaining to the composition, structure, properties, interactions, and transformations of matter, chemistry is divided into two major subdivisions: organic and inorganic. Organic chemistry concerns itself with only those compounds that contain carbon—basically living matter while inorganic chemistry is concerned with all of the other elements. These two areas form the basis for all research in the chemical field. Chemists, however, may be physical or analytical chemists or biochemists. Physical chemistry is the marriage of chemistry and physics—the study of the chemical phenomena in solid, liquid, or gaseous states. Analytical chemistry covers the qualitative analysis of chemicals in terms of description of elements, compounds, and structural units, and it is also concerned with the quantitative analysis in terms of measurement of amounts of elements, compounds, or structural units. Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes of all living organisms.
Research in chemistry is massive. This literature is indexed by the world’s largest English language service, Chemical Abstracts. There are many handbooks covering all aspects of chemical research, and dictionaries are standard resources, especially those that list the thousands of known compounds with detailed descriptions.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Chemistry readings
*Culp, F. Bartow. “Ten or so things that every chemistry librarian absolutely, positively has to have to keep from being an absolute plonk.” SLA Chemistry Division E-Newsletter, Winter 2004, 18 (3), 199-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20060610032117/http://www.sla.org/division/dche/Newsletters/Feb_2004.pdf
URL for April Love’s Top Ten List is now https://web.archive.org/web/20050501174326/http://sun3.lib.uci.edu/~slriweb/chem/top10.htm
*Hurt, C.D. Informational Sources in Science and Technology, 3rd Ed. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp.101-02.
*Malinowsky, H. R. Reference Sources in Science, Engineering, Medicine and Agriculture. Phoenix, Ariz. : Oryx Press, 1994. p. 41.
“Spotlight on the Subject Knowledge of Chemistry Librarians: Results of a Survey by Christopher Hooper-Lane,” Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, Summer 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20050211113843/http://www.library.ucsb.edu/istl/99-summer/article1.html
What is Chemistry?
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/intro/faq/what-is-chemistry.shtml
*Wiggins, Gary. What is Chemical Information? http://www.indiana.edu/~cheminfo/acs800/soced_wash.html
Covers in point form: Overview of Chemistry, Chemical Abstracts, Cambridge Structural Database, Beilstein, Handbooks, Guides.
Bibliographies and Guides to the literature
Cheminfo https://web.archive.org/web/20050212073933/http://www.indiana.edu/~cheminfo/ Designed to help people find and learn how to use chemical information resources on the Internet and elsewhere.
Chemistry Resource Locator https://web.archive.org/web/20050302102035/http://sun3.lib.uci.edu/~slriweb/chem/chemguide.htm
Userguide for chemistry and related subjects. Developed as a project to help provide help when a chemistry librarian was not available. From University of California Irvine. Last updated Sept. 15, 1998. Includes a guide for frequently asked questions, directional guides to subject resources, guides to selection of chemistry computer databases, links to popular and useful chemistry sites.
Douville, Judith. The Literature of Chemistry: Recommended Titles for Undergraduate Chemistry Library Collections. Chicago: Association of College & Research Libraries, Division of the American Library Association, 2004. Ref Z 675 C47D68 2004
A comprehensive, annotated, guide to current books, Internet resources, and journals in chemistry designed for use by students, faculty, and re searchers.
How to Find Out: Chemical and Process Engineering https://web.archive.org/web/20051226092600/http://www.hw.ac.uk/library/howtochemeng.html
This guide is aimed primarily at students and staff of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh; however it may be of use to anyone looking for information on Chemical and Process Engineering. Maizell, Robert E. How to find chemical information: a guide for practicing chemists, educators and students. (1998) QD 8.5 M34 1998
Web resources
BioChem Hub https://web.archive.org/web/20060315224616/http://biochemhub.com/biochem/biochemhub.cfm
The Online Biology and Chemistry Education Center Canada’s SchoolNet: Learning Resources: Sciences: Chemistry https://web.archive.org/web/20041214103202/http://www.schoolnet.ca/home/e/resources/browse_results.asp?SECTION=0&SUBJECT=36&LangID=1&SEARCH=index.asp
Chemdex (University of Sheffield) http://www.chemdex.org/
The directory of chemistry on the WWW. There are links to companies, communication resources, databases as well as academic institutions and individuals. It has been constructed in conjunction with the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Department of Trade and Industry and has operated from the University of Sheffield since 1993.
Chemistry Internet Resources https://web.archive.org/web/20041216193638/http://www.library.augustana.ca/resources/Chemistry.html
Sites listed under Associations, Chemical, Periodic Tables, Reference Resources, Webguides.
Chemistry.org
http://www.chemistry.org/portal/Chemistry/
American Chemical Society. Library Guides for ACS Approved Programs contains American Chemical Society Committee On Professional Training Journal List For Undergraduate Programs (as of January 2005) http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/l/acsdisplay.html?DOC=education\cpt\library.html
Chemistry Resources on the Internet https://web.archive.org/web/20050306171945/http://www7.tamu-commerce.edu/library/chem.htm
Comprehensive list of links compiled by Texas A & M University library. Updated Jan. 2005
Chemistry Resources on the Internet https://web.archive.org/web/20050216011457/http://www.library.ucsb.edu/istl/98-winter/interne1.html
1998 article from the online journal Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship URL’s have been updated.
Chemistry Sources https://web.archive.org/web/20070406030158/http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2000/november4/chemistrysources.htm
Sections include: Metasites; Databases; Service-oriented Sites; Preprints; Technical Reports; Patents; Reference Tools/data/spectra; Electronic Journals; Commercial Sources of Supply of Chemicals; Associations; Instructional Materials; News/Newsletters/Magazines; Newsgroups; Safety. Also published in College & Research Libraries News, November 2000.
Educational Links: Chemistry https://web.archive.org/web/20090520011742/http://www3.edu.gov.mb.ca/edulinks/search.jsp?CAT=1237
Selected by Manitoba Education and Youth.
High School Chemistry Resources on the Web http://www.chemistrycoach.com/high.htm Extensive list compiled by Wilton High School chemistry teacher, Dr. Bob Jacobs. Intended for the high school level, this massive set of categorized links would also be helpful to a college general chemistry student. Periodic Tables section at http://www.chemistrycoach.com/periodic_tables.htm
Imperial Oil: The Resource Centre http://www.schoolnet.ca/grassroots/project.centre/theme/Imperial/links.asp
This portal site provides links to key resources in the field of chemistry and physics. The links include: Periodic table of elements, National Chemistry Week experiments, Chem4kids, Let’s Talk Science, Canadian Chemistry and Physics Olympiad, Bill Nye…
InfoSurf: Chemistry and Biochemistry https://web.archive.org/web/20041215092202/http://www.library.ucsb.edu/subjects/chem/chemistr.html
Information Resources for: Chemistry from University of California, Santa Barbara Library. Covers Chemical Data Sources, Materials Safety Data Sheets, Chemistry Departments, Super Sites, Awards and Prizes, Professional Societies, Conferences, Meetings and Symposia, Publishers, Electronic Journals, Chemical Suppliers, Chemical Equipment Suppliers, Chemical Software Suppliers, Commercial Information Providers, Chemistry Databases for UCSB users.
IPL Kidspace: Physics and Chemistry http://www.ipl.org/IPLBrowse/GetSubject?vid=12&cid=3&tid=4305&parent=4278
Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators: Chemical Science https://web.archive.org/web/20080830073917/http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/sci-tech/scics.html
Martindale’s The Virtual Chemistry Center http://www.martindalecenter.com/Calculators3B.html
Rolf Claessen’s Chemistry Index http://www.claessen.net/chemistry/
Sections include Top 5% Chemistry Sites; Software; Books; Databases; Companies; Journals; Patents; Jobs; Reactions; Spectroscopy; Societies; Lik Collections.
Science Net http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?N=37868+4293011005+37846+37845
Science web sites selected by TPL staff for teachers and students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The sites are indexed by subject category. Topics include Biology, Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Paleontology and Astronomy.
Science NetLinks https://web.archive.org/web/20090220145324/http://sciencenetlinks.com/index.cfm
Science NetLinks provides a wealth of resources for K-12 science educators, including lesson plans and reviewed Internet resources. Use “search” feature to find chemistry specific items.
University of Winnipeg Library. Chemistry on the Web. http://libguides.uwinnipeg.ca/chemistry
Vaughan Memorial Library: Subject Research Guides: Chemistry Reference Sources http://libguides.acadiau.ca/content.php?pid=1163
Databases
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. Web Information Service http://ccinfoweb.ccohs.ca/
Currently, CCINFOWeb provides subscription to the following databases:
• MSDS plus CHEMINFO
• Canadian enviroOSH Legislation plus Standards
• RTECS
• OSH References
ChemFinder http://www.cambridgesoft.com/databases/login/?serviceid=128
A free database where you can search for chemicals by chemical name, formula, molecular weight, CAS registry number, and molecular structure. Professional pay version known as ChemINDEX.
NIST Chemistry WebBook http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/
Provides thermochemical, thermophysical, and ion energetics data compiled by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). General searches can be done by formula, name, CAS registry number, author, or structure. Material Safety Datasheets See above: Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.
Web Information Service MSDS Search http://www.msdssearch.com/
Free service. Designed to be a reliable starting point for exchange of MSDS documents. Includes link to MSDS dictionary, etc.
Online Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
Glossarist: Chemistry glossaries and chemistry dictionaries https://web.archive.org/web/20120305031046/http://www.glossarist.com/glossaries/science/physical-sciences/chemistry.asp
Abstracts and indexes
Chemical Abstracts http://www.cas.org/
The most complete guide to the literature. Begun 1907.
Chemistry: Selected Print Resources
Kirk-Othmer Concise Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. 4th ed. 1999. Ref TP 9 .K54 1999
Condenses the Fourth Edition of the 27-volume full edition. The articles retain not only basic, fundamental information as well as key portions of more advanced material, but also illustrations, tables, graphs, and key references. New topics are incorporated in their appropriate alphabetical order.
CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics Ref QD 65 H3
The standard reference work for chemical and physical data. Information is divided into various sections and organized into specific tables. Indexes are also included.
Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry. 14th ed. Ref QD 65 .L36
Covers the entire field of chemistry with facts, figures, values, tables, and formulas.
The Merck Index: an encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs, and biologicals. Ref RS 356 M524
Provides comprehensive encyclopedic information on various chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds. Use the indexes to find the correct entry number for the compound and follow the guide in the front of the book to read the entries.
URL for April Love’s Top Ten List is now https://web.archive.org/web/20050501174326/http://sun3.lib.uci.edu/~slriweb/chem/top10.htm
*Hurt, C.D. Informational Sources in Science and Technology, 3rd Ed. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp.101-02.
*Malinowsky, H. R. Reference Sources in Science, Engineering, Medicine and Agriculture. Phoenix, Ariz. : Oryx Press, 1994. p. 41.
“Spotlight on the Subject Knowledge of Chemistry Librarians: Results of a Survey by Christopher Hooper-Lane,” Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, Summer 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20050211113843/http://www.library.ucsb.edu/istl/99-summer/article1.html
What is Chemistry?
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/intro/faq/what-is-chemistry.shtml
*Wiggins, Gary. What is Chemical Information? http://www.indiana.edu/~cheminfo/acs800/soced_wash.html
Covers in point form: Overview of Chemistry, Chemical Abstracts, Cambridge Structural Database, Beilstein, Handbooks, Guides.
Bibliographies and Guides to the literature
Cheminfo https://web.archive.org/web/20050212073933/http://www.indiana.edu/~cheminfo/ Designed to help people find and learn how to use chemical information resources on the Internet and elsewhere.
Chemistry Resource Locator https://web.archive.org/web/20050302102035/http://sun3.lib.uci.edu/~slriweb/chem/chemguide.htm
Userguide for chemistry and related subjects. Developed as a project to help provide help when a chemistry librarian was not available. From University of California Irvine. Last updated Sept. 15, 1998. Includes a guide for frequently asked questions, directional guides to subject resources, guides to selection of chemistry computer databases, links to popular and useful chemistry sites.
Douville, Judith. The Literature of Chemistry: Recommended Titles for Undergraduate Chemistry Library Collections. Chicago: Association of College & Research Libraries, Division of the American Library Association, 2004. Ref Z 675 C47D68 2004
A comprehensive, annotated, guide to current books, Internet resources, and journals in chemistry designed for use by students, faculty, and re searchers.
How to Find Out: Chemical and Process Engineering https://web.archive.org/web/20051226092600/http://www.hw.ac.uk/library/howtochemeng.html
This guide is aimed primarily at students and staff of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh; however it may be of use to anyone looking for information on Chemical and Process Engineering. Maizell, Robert E. How to find chemical information: a guide for practicing chemists, educators and students. (1998) QD 8.5 M34 1998
Web resources
BioChem Hub https://web.archive.org/web/20060315224616/http://biochemhub.com/biochem/biochemhub.cfm
The Online Biology and Chemistry Education Center Canada’s SchoolNet: Learning Resources: Sciences: Chemistry https://web.archive.org/web/20041214103202/http://www.schoolnet.ca/home/e/resources/browse_results.asp?SECTION=0&SUBJECT=36&LangID=1&SEARCH=index.asp
Chemdex (University of Sheffield) http://www.chemdex.org/
The directory of chemistry on the WWW. There are links to companies, communication resources, databases as well as academic institutions and individuals. It has been constructed in conjunction with the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Department of Trade and Industry and has operated from the University of Sheffield since 1993.
Chemistry Internet Resources https://web.archive.org/web/20041216193638/http://www.library.augustana.ca/resources/Chemistry.html
Sites listed under Associations, Chemical, Periodic Tables, Reference Resources, Webguides.
Chemistry.org
http://www.chemistry.org/portal/Chemistry/
American Chemical Society. Library Guides for ACS Approved Programs contains American Chemical Society Committee On Professional Training Journal List For Undergraduate Programs (as of January 2005) http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/l/acsdisplay.html?DOC=education\cpt\library.html
Chemistry Resources on the Internet https://web.archive.org/web/20050306171945/http://www7.tamu-commerce.edu/library/chem.htm
Comprehensive list of links compiled by Texas A & M University library. Updated Jan. 2005
Chemistry Resources on the Internet https://web.archive.org/web/20050216011457/http://www.library.ucsb.edu/istl/98-winter/interne1.html
1998 article from the online journal Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship URL’s have been updated.
Chemistry Sources https://web.archive.org/web/20070406030158/http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2000/november4/chemistrysources.htm
Sections include: Metasites; Databases; Service-oriented Sites; Preprints; Technical Reports; Patents; Reference Tools/data/spectra; Electronic Journals; Commercial Sources of Supply of Chemicals; Associations; Instructional Materials; News/Newsletters/Magazines; Newsgroups; Safety. Also published in College & Research Libraries News, November 2000.
Educational Links: Chemistry https://web.archive.org/web/20090520011742/http://www3.edu.gov.mb.ca/edulinks/search.jsp?CAT=1237
Selected by Manitoba Education and Youth.
High School Chemistry Resources on the Web http://www.chemistrycoach.com/high.htm Extensive list compiled by Wilton High School chemistry teacher, Dr. Bob Jacobs. Intended for the high school level, this massive set of categorized links would also be helpful to a college general chemistry student. Periodic Tables section at http://www.chemistrycoach.com/periodic_tables.htm
Imperial Oil: The Resource Centre http://www.schoolnet.ca/grassroots/project.centre/theme/Imperial/links.asp
This portal site provides links to key resources in the field of chemistry and physics. The links include: Periodic table of elements, National Chemistry Week experiments, Chem4kids, Let’s Talk Science, Canadian Chemistry and Physics Olympiad, Bill Nye…
InfoSurf: Chemistry and Biochemistry https://web.archive.org/web/20041215092202/http://www.library.ucsb.edu/subjects/chem/chemistr.html
Information Resources for: Chemistry from University of California, Santa Barbara Library. Covers Chemical Data Sources, Materials Safety Data Sheets, Chemistry Departments, Super Sites, Awards and Prizes, Professional Societies, Conferences, Meetings and Symposia, Publishers, Electronic Journals, Chemical Suppliers, Chemical Equipment Suppliers, Chemical Software Suppliers, Commercial Information Providers, Chemistry Databases for UCSB users.
IPL Kidspace: Physics and Chemistry http://www.ipl.org/IPLBrowse/GetSubject?vid=12&cid=3&tid=4305&parent=4278
Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators: Chemical Science https://web.archive.org/web/20080830073917/http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/sci-tech/scics.html
Martindale’s The Virtual Chemistry Center http://www.martindalecenter.com/Calculators3B.html
Rolf Claessen’s Chemistry Index http://www.claessen.net/chemistry/
Sections include Top 5% Chemistry Sites; Software; Books; Databases; Companies; Journals; Patents; Jobs; Reactions; Spectroscopy; Societies; Lik Collections.
Science Net http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?N=37868+4293011005+37846+37845
Science web sites selected by TPL staff for teachers and students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The sites are indexed by subject category. Topics include Biology, Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Paleontology and Astronomy.
Science NetLinks https://web.archive.org/web/20090220145324/http://sciencenetlinks.com/index.cfm
Science NetLinks provides a wealth of resources for K-12 science educators, including lesson plans and reviewed Internet resources. Use “search” feature to find chemistry specific items.
University of Winnipeg Library. Chemistry on the Web. http://libguides.uwinnipeg.ca/chemistry
Vaughan Memorial Library: Subject Research Guides: Chemistry Reference Sources http://libguides.acadiau.ca/content.php?pid=1163
Databases
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. Web Information Service http://ccinfoweb.ccohs.ca/
Currently, CCINFOWeb provides subscription to the following databases:
• MSDS plus CHEMINFO
• Canadian enviroOSH Legislation plus Standards
• RTECS
• OSH References
ChemFinder http://www.cambridgesoft.com/databases/login/?serviceid=128
A free database where you can search for chemicals by chemical name, formula, molecular weight, CAS registry number, and molecular structure. Professional pay version known as ChemINDEX.
NIST Chemistry WebBook http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/
Provides thermochemical, thermophysical, and ion energetics data compiled by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). General searches can be done by formula, name, CAS registry number, author, or structure. Material Safety Datasheets See above: Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.
Web Information Service MSDS Search http://www.msdssearch.com/
Free service. Designed to be a reliable starting point for exchange of MSDS documents. Includes link to MSDS dictionary, etc.
Online Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
Glossarist: Chemistry glossaries and chemistry dictionaries https://web.archive.org/web/20120305031046/http://www.glossarist.com/glossaries/science/physical-sciences/chemistry.asp
Abstracts and indexes
Chemical Abstracts http://www.cas.org/
The most complete guide to the literature. Begun 1907.
Chemistry: Selected Print Resources
Kirk-Othmer Concise Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. 4th ed. 1999. Ref TP 9 .K54 1999
Condenses the Fourth Edition of the 27-volume full edition. The articles retain not only basic, fundamental information as well as key portions of more advanced material, but also illustrations, tables, graphs, and key references. New topics are incorporated in their appropriate alphabetical order.
CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics Ref QD 65 H3
The standard reference work for chemical and physical data. Information is divided into various sections and organized into specific tables. Indexes are also included.
Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry. 14th ed. Ref QD 65 .L36
Covers the entire field of chemistry with facts, figures, values, tables, and formulas.
The Merck Index: an encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs, and biologicals. Ref RS 356 M524
Provides comprehensive encyclopedic information on various chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds. Use the indexes to find the correct entry number for the compound and follow the guide in the front of the book to read the entries.
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