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Reviewers’ Corner

The Literature of Chemistry: Recommended Titles for Undergraduate Chemistry Library Collections, by Judith Douville
Reviewed by Susan Cardinal, Chemistry Librarian, Carlson Science and Engineering Library, University of Rochester

My library recently acquired The Literature of Chemistry (Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2004, ISBN 0-8389-8308-1, $42) for its collection. Three recent reviews (Choice, June 2005; Journal of Chemical Education, August 2005, and Booklist, June 2005) had been favorable. Judith Douville has the ideal credentials for authorship of this book: she currently is the Science & Technology editor for Choice magazine and previously taught chemistry, was a librarian, and was managing editor of Information Science Abstracts.

How will this bright yellow book with test tubes on the cover help me, a time-challenged but eager bibliographer to get to know my library’s chemistry collection better? At first glance, this book appears to contain an extensive list of annotated book titles. Closer inspection shows that CD-ROMs, a few online databases, and web sites are also included. Titles were mainly published in 2002 or earlier, with a few in 2003.

Titles are classified and presented in 11 chapters. The first six chapters cover Basic Chemistry, Applied Sciences Related to Chemistry, and the major areas of chemistry (Analytical, Physical, Organic, and Inorganic). The next four chapters cover applied chemistry (Environmental, Industrial, Polymer, and Biological). A brief final chapter addresses Internet Resources in Chemistry, web sites that have a history of usefulness and stability. The book ends with two pages of recommended journal titles. An index that includes mainly titles and authors will be handy for quickly locating specific books.

Each chapter is further divided into subcategories, such as Guides to the Literature, Abstracting and Indexing Services, Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and Handbooks. In each subcategory, titles are arranged alphabetically by author (or by title, when the work has no author).

The classification of titles in categories and subcategories will be useful to someone analyzing part of a collection. However, once a title is mentioned in one section, it is not repeated or cross-referenced in another. For example, the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics is sensibly listed as a basic chemistry handbook. This classification scheme might be a drawback during a stressful reference query about organic chemistry. One might look in the Organic Chemistry chapter and forget that about the useful organic chemistry information in CRC Handbook.

The spectroscopy books can be found in the Analytical Chemistry chapter as well as in the chapters on Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and Polymer Chemistry. I am admittedly spoiled by spontaneous online sorting techniques and I would like to have the option to resort all the spectroscopy books together.

I was surprised not to see mention of the Beilstein and Gmelin databases via the Crossfire software (MDL), even though the handbooks are included. SciFinder Scholar access to CASREACT also is omitted.

The annotations are very valuable. However, I wondered why older editions of the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology were listed. (www.4ulr.com/products/currentprotocols/interscience/kirkothmer.html) (www.chemheritage.org/library/lib-nav6.html) Then I noticed an explanation in the annotation of the fourth edition: “Older editions of the Encyclopedia are retained by libraries because material is not repeated in subsequent editions if there is nothing newer on the subject.”

Although I don’t anticipate reading this book from cover to cover, it will be valuable in helping me evaluate the University of Rochester’s chemistry collection. It also may point me to additional resources as I tackle complex reference questions. Finally, it will be helpful in identifying resources for library course websites, in which the library highlights resources that will be useful for students in particular courses. Thank you to Judith Douville and reviewers for an excellent tool!

Related links from ACS

	Library Guidelines for ACS Approved Programs - http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay.html?DOC=education\cpt\library.html
	Undergraduate Professional Education in Chemistry: Guidelines and Evaluation Procedures: http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay.html?DOC=education\cpt\guidelines.html
	Topical Supplements to the Guidelines http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay.html?DOC=education\cpt\topicals99.html

ACS journals in the major areas of chemistry

	Analytical (Analytical Chemistry)
	Physical (The Journal of Physical Chemistry A, The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Langmuir)
	Organic (The Journal of Organic Chemistry, Organic Letters, Organometallics)
	Inorganic (Inorganic Chemistry, Organometallics)

ACS journals in applied chemistry

	Environmental (Environmental Science & Technology)
	Industrial (Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data, Energy & Fuels, Organic Process Research & Development)
	Polymer (Macromolecules, Biomacromolecules)
	Biological (ACS Chemical Biology, Biochemistry, Bioconjugate Chemistry, Biotechnology Progress, Journal of Proteome Research)

Recent book reviews in ACS journals

Nucleic Acids By Shawn Doonan (University of East London). Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge. 2004. vi + 185 pp. 19 × 24 cm. 14.95. ISBN 0-85404-481-7. Jill Nelson Granger J. Nat. Prod.; 2006; 69(4) pp 726 - 726; (Book Review) DOI: 10.1021/np058268x

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The Adrenergic Receptors in the 21st Century Edited by Dianne M. Perez. Humana Press, Totawa, NJ. 2006. xi + 404 pp. 15.5 × 24 cm. ISBN 1-588-29-423-4. $165.00. J. Paul Hieble J. Med. Chem.; 2006; 49(8) pp 2667 - 2668; (Book Review) DOI: 10.1021/jm068010j

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Theory and Applications of Computational Chemistry: The First Forty Years Edited by Clifford E. Dykstra (Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA), Gernot Frenking (Phillips-Universität Marburg, Germany), Kwang S. Kim (Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea), and Gustavo E. Scuseria (Rice University, Houston, TX, USA). Elsevier: Amsterdam. 2005. xxviii + 1308 pp. $110.00. ISBN 0-444-51904-1. André D. Bandrauk J. Am. Chem. Soc.; 2006; 128(14) pp 4919 - 4920; (Book Review) DOI: 10.1021/ja059883q

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Poly(arylene ethynylene)s: From Synthesis to Application. Advances in Polymer Science, Volume 177 Edited by Christoph Weder (Case Western Reserve University). Springer: Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. xii + 272 pp. $226.00. ISBN 3-540-23366-0. Kirk S. Schanze J. Am. Chem. Soc.; 2006; 128(5) pp 1773 - 1774; (Book Review) DOI: 10.1021/ja059823k

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