National Library of Australia


University of Melbourne collection assessment
Chemistry

Shirley Sullivan, Collection Management Librarian (Physical Sciences)
August 1996

  1. Aims
  2. Methodologie
  3. Nature of the discipline
  4. School of chemistry
  5. Chemistry library
  6. Special collections
  7. List checking
  8. Shelf scanning
  9. Evaluation by experts
  10. Assessment of the collections
  11. Areas of research strength
  12. Areas needing to be enriched

Acknowledgments


1. Aims

1.1 To evaluate the chemistry collections throughout the University of Melbourne Library.

1.2 To identify areas of the collection which need improvement in currency and scope.

1.3 To lay the foundation for a collection management policy for the chemistry area.

2. Methodologies

The collections were assessed using criteria laid down in the Australian Conspectus Manual:

3. Nature of the discipline

Chemistry is the study of matter - its structures, composition, and property - and its transformation from one kind of substance into another. It is one of the oldest sciences: cooking, dyeing, any kind of metalworking, and the preparation of drugs are chemical processes. Techniques such as assaying and distillation have long histories, and were in use long before they were chemically understood.

Chemistry is fundamentally a laboratory-based science. From the beginning it was based upon experiment informed by theorising in a way other sciences were not. Research in this discipline can be divided into the subfields of organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, theoretical, nuclear, biophysical, biological, medicinal, environmental, and macromolecular chemistry; however, these overlap a great deal. Physical chemistry often provides the theoretical basis of the understanding of phenomena associated with either organic or inorganic compounds or biochemical systems. Increasingly it is the basis of investigational techniques used in other branches of chemistry.

Chemistry has a multidisciplinary role. It draws heavily on physics and mathematics, and is itself an enabling science of great importance to disciplines such as medicine and engineering. Almost all modern technological achievements have some component of chemistry in their development. Many of the discoveries made by chemists have a profound impact on other branches of science. The current state of advancement of biology, medicine, pharmacology, material science, earth science, genetics, botany, agriculture, and many other disciplines owe an enormous debt to advances in chemistry, both fundamental and applied. Other fields, such as environmental science, forensic science, waste management, and metallurgical science rely upon chemistry as the core discipline. Scientific publications that are abstracted in Chemical Abstracts cover a much broader scope than areas traditionally thought of as chemistry. Disciplines such as pharmacology, nuclear physics, and clinical medical research are often abstracted by Chemical Abstracts. The rapid growth of the scientific literature over many years means that the active chemist needs to read widely in many different journals. The chemist’s information needs are not confined to chemistry, even to chemistry defined as widely as by Chemical Abstracts.

Many Australian university papers abstracted by Chemical Abstracts have a scientist from a university department other than chemistry as their first named author. Among these are departments of biochemistry, chemical engineering, pharmacology, geology, biology, physics, agriculture, botany, pharmacy, material science, and the numerous departments of medical faculties. These data indicate the penetration of chemical research into other disciplines. The cutting edge of chemical research is substantially at the interface between disciplines (eg chemistry and biology, chemistry and materials science, chemistry and biogenetics).

After World War 2, the domination of Germany in chemistry ended and that of the US began. Hence English became the major language of chemical and, indeed, of all scientific publication, and journals published in the US replaced German-language journals as the most authoritative forum for publication of the results of chemical research. In fact the percentage of documents in English in Chemical Abstracts exceeded those in German about 1936.

In Germany and other European countries the tendency is to publish in the English language. Most of the main Japanese journals are also published in English. Authors seek to publish in English in order to gain wide dissemination, and academia and publishing houses ensure that journals are published in translation. Translation journals provide either cover-to-cover or selective translations of the foreign language journals, often published by the original publishing house or by major American scientific publishers or professional associations.

Since chemical and physical properties do not often change, older literature is as essential as current literature; quite old work can often be relevant to new research. While fast access to current literature ranks first among chemists’ information needs, access to retrospective literature is probably a close second. There is still much useful information in the literature published in the latter half of the 19th century. Research in chemistry is highly dependent on what is already known and reported in the literature. Consequently research chemists are heavy users of both libraries and online information sources.

The literature of chemistry is accessible through numerous access points. In addition to subject and author searches, both print and electronic indexes offer searching by chemical names, molecular formulae, and patent numbers. Online indexes offering the further advantage of searching by molecular structure, molecular substructure or structural transformation (chemical reaction) have made the vast chemistry literature much more accessible and manageable than it would otherwise be. Hence, despite the great diversity of research in chemistry and the enormous body of literature it has generated, chemistry literature is relatively well defined and controlled.

There are a number of forms of primary literature other than the journal. In chemistry, paten specifications and doctoral theses are significant sources of information. Trade literature, internal company reports and other “grey” (ie semi-published) sources have some significance, as have published conference proceedings.

A primary report is one written by research workers providing a full description of a piece of their own original work, and intended for publication. Its function is not solely, and perhaps not even principally, the dissemination of information for current awareness purposes. The formal primary literature contains reports of finished pieces of work. It is essentially archival, providing researchers with a foundation of accepted, tested data upon which further research can be constructed.

Serial literature is the most important medium of communication in the discipline. Until the 1940s, all the major journals of chemistry were publications of learned societies in various countries. Society journals remain quite dominant in chemistry, more so than in many other disciplines, mainly because in most countries there is a single unified and powerful chemistry society, but since the 1940s commercial publishers have become increasingly active in the publication of primary scholarly journals. The discipline’s dependence on serial literature has notable economic consequences. Chemistry serials have one of the highest average costs per volume of science disciplines; between 80% and 90% of a chemistry library’s materials budget is typically allocated to serials.

The rapid-publication short-communication journals, where each paper is only one or two pages long and does not include full experimental detail, are useful for current awareness purposes and some of these journals enjoy high prestige. In some cases, such as Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, and Tetrahedron Letters, their standing is higher than that of the full-length journals from the same stable. These journals have built on a prewar tradition of rapid communication via letters to the editor of Nature, Chemistry and Industry, etc.

Trade journals for techno-commercial information are of two main types: those which cover the whole industry and those which concentrate on specific sectors. Coverage may be international, by broad geographical area, or by country. Weekly trade journals report major news on the chemical industry, company financial results, new projects, market and price reports, new technologies, environmental issues and legislation as well as features in greater depth or special reports on topical issues. Journals for specific sectors of the chemical industry usually have short news items, with more emphasis on new products and features on relevant companies or product groups, often of a semi technical nature. Most major chemical companies produce their own house journal or newsletter to inform their employees of news and developments within the company. These journals are useful source of information and many companies make them available on request to outsiders.

Patent specifications are a valuable source of technical information for the chemist. They are often the earliest source of chemical information and sometimes the only source, particularly for certain data such as illustrations and experimental data. Patents are also an important source of ideas, allowing chemists to learn about new processes or uses and to get a glimpse at what chemists in other laboratories are doing. Even if the information is eventually published in book or journal form there is unlikely to be as much detail given as was in the original patent specification. Articles and patents are written for different purposes and at different stages of the lifetime of a project. The specification includes some background information. This in effect gives a statement of the position of the art at the time of the invention. Sometimes the specification includes a search report. This is a list of references considered relevant to the invention and usually lists several patent specifications. References to journal articles are also common. The search report may, therefore, provide a valuable lead into the non-patent literature.

An abstracting service is used in two related ways: as a source of information (contained in the abstract) and as a away into the primary literature (journals and patents) through the reference. Chemical Abstracts is now the sole abstracting publication which aims to give comprehensive coverage of all chemical, biochemical and chemical engineering publications in the world. Its thorough abstracting and indexing procedures lead to some months’ delay after the primary publications before an item appears in Chemical Abstracts.

Handbooks and compilations of physical data are a basic reference source for the working chemist and are heavily used. They are employed for many purposes, eg to identify a compound (either through its physical properties or a graphic representation of its unique spectrum), to locate patent information, or to identify preparative methods and reactions.

Chemical encyclopaedias and dictionaries, which cover the most important aspects of a subfield but do not attempt to be comprehensive, are useful for quick reference. Larger compilations yield greater detail and are correspondingly more complex. They are valuable sources of background information and are required reading when it is necessary to obtain familiarity with a new subject or even one on the periphery of one’s main interests. Some of these titles are available in print and electronic format, such as the Kirk Othmer Encyclopedia Of Chemical Technology. There are many chemical dictionaries of which several are lists of chemical compounds, usually with some property data (often qualitative) and frequently with further information such as method of preparation, uses, etc. A chemical dictionary is a prerequisite for anyone concerned with techno-chemical information.

Books in chemistry are essentially tertiary sources, ie they are review publications representing synthesis of the content of many primary papers published over several years. At a rather more advanced level are those monographs of a particularly specialised nature written by an expert in the field. These can be valuable guides to the development and present state of the subject they cover. Many monographs are issued as members of series which are published both by learned societies and by commercial publishers. They can become out of date rather quickly in rapidly expanding fields such as organometallic chemistry or composite technology.

Information contained in theses is often of value, and they are often cited as references in other publications. Although in many cases the core information of a thesis is also published in one or more journal articles, this is not always the case.

Reviews are increasingly of a highly specialised nature which critically evaluated the literature rather than merely summarising it. Festschriften often contain contributions from other prominent chemists working in the same field and thus serve to provide a state of the art survey.

Conferences, symposia and meetings provide chemists with the opportunity of hearing directly from their peers about the latest advances in their field. Conferences vary in quality; however, many papers given at conferences are by distinguished experts who present either new work or a state-of-the-art review.

4. School of chemistry

The School of Chemistry is one of the oldest in Australia; the first lectures in chemistry in the University of Melbourne were given in 1856. The School of Chemistry offers a three year study in theoretical and practical chemistry which is designed to teach:

The School undertakes research in a wide range of areas, including the traditional disciplines of organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, as well as theoretical, analytical, marine, and polymer chemistry. Research strengths include colloid science and coordination chemistry, a long-term strength in Australian chemistry research. The School has a high success rate with ARC grants, achieving a 65% success rate compared to a national average of 19%. Melbourne is the “chemical capital” of Australia: most chemical companies are located here and most research and development conducted here. The School undertakes collaborative research with a number of industry partners in the oil, mining, and chemicals sectors.

The Advanced Mineral Products Research Centre (an Australian Research Council Special Research Centre) is an interdisciplinary initiative between Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, and has its central office and management team located in Chemistry. The focus of the Centre is towards basic research in support of the value-added product goals of the Australian minerals industry.

5. Chemistry library

Like other sciences chemistry relies far more heavily on serial than on monographic literature. This is reflected in the annual bookvote allocations. The 1996 bookvote for Chemistry is $338,056.00. Serials account for $301,726.00, or roughly 89.25%. (CD ROMs are classed as subscriptions).

The Chemistry Library has a bookstock of more than 10,000 volumes and has approximately 16,600 serial volumes. These include many with extensive runs. The reference collection comprises 1,100 volumes, and there are 2,100 microfiches and 3 CD-ROMs, with 7 computer software titles.

The academic consensus is that there are not many good chemistry books to buy each year and the Chemistry Library gets all of them. It acquires approximately 200-250 new monographs per year, with a sum of $30,000.00 from the annual bookvote set aside for this purpose.

All of the academics interviewed were warm in their (unsolicited) praise of the Officer-in-Charge, Zdena Schwangmeier. Her knowledge of the material and of other libraries with similar collections to call upon for speedy interlibrary loan were noted. Comments ranged from, “the service is good in the library” and, “Zdena does a very good job” to, “Zdena goes to a lot of trouble … and always stays in a good mood”. One academic asked if the University Library has mechanisms to reward such good staff as Zdena, and stressed that library staff are not interchangeable cogs.

6. Special collections

6.1 Safety collection

There is a collection of between 40 and 50 items housed in the library for the use of students and staff using the laboratories. These items deal with different aspects of safety in the laboratory, for example, Practical laser safety, Chemical safety in the laboratory.

6.2 Audio-visual collections

There is a small AV collection held at the Faculty of Education Branch Library (ERC). This includes computer files, kits, transparencies, audio-cassettes, pictures, slides and videos. The collection totals about 150 items. It is used chiefly by students within the Faculty rather than by the wider university community.

6.3 BX collection

The Special Collection (BX) holds approximately 4,00-5,000 volumes. It includes works such as:-

6.4 AX collection

The Special Collection (AX) contains one item only, The Life and Work of Bertram Dillon Steele, by A. Hardman-Knight, 1934.

6.5 The U collection

The U Collection holds 4 titles.

6.6 Morgan collection

Old science books written for children are rare and hard to come by. The Morgan Collection has 2 items:

6.7 Microforms

The University of Melbourne Library holds one of the most important collections of primary and secondary source material in microform in Australia in many and various subject areas. Notable collections of relevance to Chemistry are:-

7. List checking

A number of lists were used to assess the collection strengths in chemistry. The list checking took 12 hours.

7.1 Bibliography used for list checking:

7.1.1 Monographs

The most thorough list for monograph checking was Information Sources in Chemistry. It was comprehensive, particularly for dictionaries and historical literature. Information Sources in Science and Technology was useful as a broad tool.

Table 1 Monographs

Title

No. checked

No. held

%

Bottle

269

199

73.97

Hurt

145

85

58.62

Malinowsky

81

62

69.89

Overall

495

346

69.89

7.1.2 Serials

From checking the top 1000 titles in CASSI, the Library achieved only 47%; however, this list ranges very broadly in subject area. From the top 100 titles in CASSI, the Library holds 87. This is in accord with the percentage held from the list in SCI, 78.24% overall. This indicates a very good holding in Chemistry, and one which should be maintained and increased as a national resource.

Table 2 Serials

Title

No. checked

No. held %

CASSI

1000

470

47

SCI

547

428

78.24

Malin

22

21

95.47

Bottle

122

89

72.95

Overall

1691

1009

59.61

8. Shelf scanning

A shelf scan was undertaken concurrently with list checking. This took 13 hours. Libraries on campus holding items in the relevant DDC numbers were examined. This provided a valuable overview of the monograph coverage particularly. Although the strongest collection is (naturally) in the Chemistry Branch Library, significant collections are housed in ERC and in the research collection (B), with other collections in Engineering, Baillieu, Physics and Earth Sciences, and even as far afield as Agriculture and Medicine.

9. Evaluation by experts

A number of academic staff members from the School were interviewed and assisted the Conspectus Officer to assign levels to worksheets. They further provided advice on areas which need to be built up to support newly established fields of teaching and research. Specific information is provided under sections 11 and 12.

10. Assessment of the collections

10.1 Dictionaries and encyclopaedias

The collection of dictionaries and encyclopaedias is considered reasonably comprehensive, a level 3b collection, according to the lists checked. This collection was rated level 4 in the Pilot Conspectus undertaken in 1990, and is still so rated by the academics, so it is possible that the lists do not reflect adequately the demands of this institution.

10.2 Monographs

The total collection of monographs is approximately 15,500. The overall collection level of the division is 4E. The collection is particularly strong in its holdings of monographs in series, scoring 1005 in the list checked from Bottle (1993). In some areas, such as biological chemistry and some areas of inorganic chemistry, there was concern expressed about the monograph collection, which is considered to be deficient in terms of titles and numbers of copies. The biological chemistry collection, however, falls outside of the Chemistry conspectus range of DDC numbers.

10.3 Serials

The Library holds 87 of the top 100 journals listed in CASSI. The percentage held in the list obtained from Bottle is also a pleasing 73%. This is a matter for satisfaction but not for complacency: the rapidly increasing costs for annual subscriptions is a grave concern. A number of academics expressed concern at cancellations of journals which took place in the early 1990s, particularly of the older, well-established journals, and also expressed sorrow that new journals could not be subscribed to, as some of these are very good.

While most of the academics interviewed only needed to use one or two other branch libraries for journals (as well as Chemistry), others found the dispersed collection a hindrance. Since the interesting research is taking place at the interfaces between disciplines, it would be convenient to have all science journals in one location, they state. One academic remarked that students tend not to go outside their own branch library and believe that the collection held there is all there is of relevance to them. Their focus is, therefore, far too narrow, and they need to be exposed to a broader range of knowledge. Others expressed great satisfaction with the collection in smaller locations, as they experience difficulty in locating materials in larger libraries. One academic noted the location of a number of chemistry journals in the Brownless Medical Library and recommended they be relocated to the Chemistry Library. One noted that the benefits of a collection in the one’s own building with a librarian who knows her collection and her clientele as well as Zdena outweigh the disadvantages of needing to use more than one library.

10.4 Indexing and abstracting services

The University of Melbourne Library holds or provides access to the major indexes and abstracts in the discipline in print and/or electronic format. The electronic formats are available as CD-ROMs and/or online, through commercial vendors or through AARNet/Internet.

These include

10.5 Electronic reference sources

10.6 World Wide Web sites

Many Academics and graduate students make use of the information available through the world wide web. The following sites are examples of the diverse sources available for research:

These sites and the information they contain cannot yet be seen as substitutes for the more traditional print, mircoform and electronic sources, but as supplementing them.

10.7 Electronic Journals

Chemistry is one of the most visual and “three dimensional” of sciences. Electronic journals can become a new form of scientific instrument, in allowing the delivery to the user of manipulable 3D molecular images, instrumental data, symbolic algorithms capable of evaluation locally, and other semantically intact molecular data for re-use locally by the reader.

The following are examples of electronic journals available in chemistry:

11. Areas of research strength

The collection as a whole is considered good by the academic staff, but there are no areas of outstanding strength noted by the School. There is, however, a research level collection in the history of chemistry, extensively used by researchers in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science. Much of this collection is housed in microform.

12. Areas needing to be enriched

12.1Theoretical chemistry

A number of retirements in the past few years in theoretical chemistry has led to a drop in the purchase of new materials and the cancellation of a number of important journals in this field. The area will need strengthening in the next few years, with continued vigilance to ensure it maintains at least a level 3bE so that the collection is viable when research in the area recommences.

12.3Environmental chemistry

Environmental chemistry is a new and rapidly expanding field of research. This area will need money spent on it to ensure that the Library reaches and maintains a level 4 collection as the publication output grows.

Acknowledgments

Thanks are gratefully offered to the many people who gave freely of their time and advice. I thank particularly Zdena Schwangmeier for her collegial support. I thank also Juliet Flesch, Elisabeth Garran, Margaret Murphy, Graeme Murphy, and Merete Smith from the Library, for their support and assistance, and the academic staff who generously gave their time and advice to assist me to build a picture of the current collections and the needs that they are required to meet.

Last modified: August 18 2004.