Introduction to UNH Library Resources for Chemistry Students

Introduction to UNH Library Resources for Chemistry Students
This web page is available during the Spring '05 semester at http://www.library.unh.edu/branches/Chm400librarytalkJan05.html

Emily Poworoznek, UNH Engineering & Physical Sciences Librarian
For CHM 400, Dr. Ed Wong, January 26, 2005

Outline and Web Links

I. Where is the UNH Library (http://www.library.unh.edu)?

Chemistry Library (http://www.library.unh.edu/branches/chemgide.html)
Physics Library
Biological Sciences Library
Engineering/Math/Computer Science Library
Dimond Library (no separate web page, see UNH Library home page)

Zeke's Guide

Infoboost

II.  Targeting chemical information in all formats
     A. For printed information, start with the UNH Library: home page and the Chemistry Library web site
     B. For subscription web resources, such as SciFinder Scholar or AccessScience, the Library is also the place to connect. For most resources, you can also connect from off-campus, but SciFinder is not available off-campus
C. On the open Internet (non-subscription resources), select known sources and sites rather than unknowns.

III.  Search effectively
     A. Consider your question:
        What type of information are you looking for?
        Can you state your question in a few different ways? Do any synonyms exist? What are broader or narrower terms for your topic, if you are familiar with it?

     B. Consider your options:
        Do you need a primary or secondary source?
        Primary sources are those in which information is being published for the very first time. For example, a scientist usually publishes new research results in a journal article, which may be peer-reviewed, or refereed, for quality control. Articles are listed in indexes or abstracting sources, often called bibliographic databases.
        Secondary sources include information that has already been published. Examples can include textbooks, magazine articles, encyclopedia articles, and reference handbooks, such as the Merck Index. Books, and the names of journals or magazines (but not individual articles) are usually listed in library catalogs.

     C. If you are searching in a library catalog, which type of information are you working from: author, book title, journal name, or topic ideas? Topics can be searched as subject headings or key words.
        In the UNH Library Catalog, searchable key words may be words in a:

title of a book, journal or other item

conference name

name of an organization or sometimes even a

book table of contents and

words from subject headings

(but never article titles)
Try your words as key words AND as subject headings. See how these results differ.

     D. If you are using an index to search for articles:
        Which index or database would work best for your question? The choice is often based on topic, but may be based on the type of information source you need, i.e. journal articles versus newspaper articles, for example.
        What are the searching rules for the resource you have chosen? Don't forget to try the "Help" or ask library staff if you're not getting satisfactory results.

IV. Starting places for library resources
     A. Chemistry: Chemistry Library computers have a special menu and desktop with important online resources, plus the printed resources there. The Chemistry Library web site has a clickable list of specialized resources.
     B. General: UNH Library web site (http://www.library.unh.edu), including the master list of databases, including indexes and abstracts (the short list for Chemistry only is on the Chemistry Library web page).
     C. UNH Library Catalog (http://library.unh.edu) -- also available from the UNH Library web site
        1. Looking it up -- how this works
        2. Understanding call numbers (Library of Congress classification outline).
     Sample catalog record
        3. Library terms:
           Pers = periodicals = journals
           Stacks = shelves where books and journals are kept

V. How can I find articles in chemistry journals? How about reliable substance information?: SciFinder exercise
     A. Use SciFinder Scholar at the Chemistry Library to search Chemical Abstracts for an author's articles. For background on SciFinder Scholar, click here.
     B. Then, use the library catalog to find the journal in which the article was published
     C. Finding your way to the journal/article
        1. Interpreting the catalog record
        2. Understanding citations
        3. Making copies
     D. If we don't have it, we can get it for you:

InterLibrary Loan (https://uofnewhampshire.hosts.atlas-sys.com/illiad/logon.html) -- for articles or books, allow 2 to 6 weeks
BLC Virtual Catalog (http://www.library.unh.edu/researchtools/what.shtml -- books only, usually within 4 days)

VI. Open Internet (non-subscription)
Use known sources when available.
For example, the UNH Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS, at http://www.unh.edu/ehs/) collects and provides information on chemical materials used on campus. EHS has developed a chemical management system (CEMS, http://www.unh.edu/cems), which offers Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from various manufacturers for chemicals used at UNH. You can search more comprehensively at another major source, provided by a safety and training corporation, ILPI: ILPI MSDS (http://www.ilpi.com/msds). ILPI also has a great explanation of MSDS. You could consider the CEMS site and the ILPI site to be "known sites" because they were developed at your school or recommended by a professional in the field.

     VII. UNH Chemistry Library
         Chemistry Library Web site
Remember:

Each Internet workstation at the Chemistry Library has a resource menu home page.
To find SciFinder Scholar on the workstation, minimize the home page, and you will see the SciFinder Scholar icon on the computer screen ("desktop"). Just double-click to start a session.
Bob Constantine is in charge of the Chemistry Library and is usually there 8-5 Monday-Friday (often at lunch 1-2). You can just ask him for help or you can send email to him (rjc3 @ cisunix.unh.edu) or to me (address below).

Emily Poworoznek * emily.poworoznek @ unh.edu * Engineering & Physical Sciences Librarian
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Last updated 26 January 2005