Introduction to UNH Library Resources for Chemistry Students

Introduction to UNH Library Resources for Chemistry Students
This web page is available during the 2009-2010 academic year at http://www.library.unh.edu/branches/Chm400fall09.html

Emily Poworoznek, UNH Engineering & Physical Sciences Librarian
For CHM 400, Richard Johnson

Outline and Web Links

I. About 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 --humanities, social sciences, multimedia, Academic Commons

For general info about the UNH Library, see the:
UNH Library website

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 are usually listed in library catalogs, but not the titles or authors of individual journal articles.

      C.  If you are searching in the UNH Library Catalog, you can use author name, book title, journal name, and/or topic ideas. Use whole words!
      Words that are searchable are found in the:

title of a book, journal or other item

conference name

name of an author or authoring organization

(sometimes) book table of contents and

words from subject headings

          (but never article titles)

      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:
         Per = periodicals = journals and magazines
         Stacks = shelves where books and journals are kept
         Reserves = materials that you ask for at the Desk (have your ID ready); these are special course materials and equipment that circulate for shorter time periods than other material. You can look these up separately with the Course Reserves tab on the Library Catalog. These usually have "Reserves" as part of the location, for example: Chem Reserves. Chemistry Laptops are also on reserve and can be signed out for 4 hours (in-library use).
         Requests = materials that you ask for via the Library Catalog (using your University ID number online); these can be books or other items that are either already checked out or those that are kept in a non-public area. Items kept in a non-public area always have "Request" as part of the location, for example: Circ Desk/Request.
         Reference = materials that are always kept in the library for your use. In the Chemistry Library, Reference books can be found near the front of the library. They are marked with yellow tape. When you use them, please just leave them out, and staff will shelve them. These always have "Reference" as part of the location, for example: Chem Reference.

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 and printing both require Cat's Cache! At the Chemistry Library, we don't have an add-value machine, but you can add value to your card online. The nearest add-value machine is in the McConnell Hall computer cluster.
      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 Catalog (http://www.library.unh.edu/researchtools/what.shtml -- currently offline, but will be returning; fast delivery for books)

VI. Open Access Internet (non-subscription)
Use known/authoritative sources for anything that matters!
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 that includes the SciFinder Scholar icon.
Bob Constantine is in charge of the Chemistry Library and is usually there 8-5 Monday-Friday, except for lunch. 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 October 2009