Education

October 10, 2005

Volume 83, Number 41

pp. 52–53

ACS Meeting News

The 21st-Century Chemistry Library

Academic chemistry libraries merge with those of other disciplines, use more digital media

Sophie L. Rovner

The chemistry library of yesteryear, with its shelves of aromatic old books and journals, limited hours, and cramped quarters, is disappearing. In its place, universities are building multidisciplinary libraries that depend on digital media and remote storage to save space. These trends and others affecting the future of chemistry libraries were discussed at a Division of Chemical Information symposium during the recent American Chemical Society national meeting in Washington, D.C.

Removing a chemistry library from the chemistry department and preparing for the transition can require a years-long campaign by librarians and administrators. Faculty can be reluctant to exchange a library in their building for one that might be two or three buildings away. On the other hand, faculty often find that consolidation with other disciplines means they don't need to visit multiple libraries to get the diverse materials they need, librarians report. The availability of journals and books online lessens the need to visit a library, no matter where it's located. Furthermore, taking the library out of the chemistry building can free up space for additional labs, offices, or classrooms.

Photos Courtesy Of Andrea Twiss-Brooks
Over-subscribed The University of Chicago's chemistry library ran out of space for its chemistry journals long ago, according to Twiss-Brooks (left photo); the university sited its interdisciplinary research building (right) next to its science library (left).

Earlier this year, Jeremy R. Garritano, a chemical information specialist in Purdue University's Mellon Library of Chemistry, surveyed 113 member institutions of the Association of Research Libraries to find out how they meet the needs of the chemist