All Sciences Poster Session Abstracts Available

Abstracts for both themes of the All Sciences Poster Session and Reception are now available:

Theme I: Scientific Information Workflow: Librarian Perspectives, Best Practices, and Models in the Digital Era

Theme II: Innovations and Best Practices in Biomedical and Life Sciences Libraries

Nominations Announced

The SLA Chemistry Division’s Nominations Committee are pleased to announce their candidates for Secretary and Chair-Elect (terms starting in 2010).

Chair-elect: William Armstrong

Secretary: Lee A. Pedersen

To suggest additional candidates, send a petition with 10 members names along with the written consent of the proposed candidates to either Sue Cardinal, Betsy Aldridge, or Dana Roth by June 5th

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William Armstrong
Head of the Chemistry Library at Louisiana State University from 1999 until its closing in 2005, Bill Armstrong now serves as Collection Development Coordinator for LSU Libraries, coordinating collection development activities and procurement (or “de-selection,” as the case may be) of information resources for all academic departments on campus. For ten years, he co-taught a semester long for-credit course for biochemistry majors, “Information Retrieval in the Sciences,” with a colleague from the Biochemistry faculty, and has taught numerous sessions for chemistry graduate students.

Bill has been a member of SLA and the Chemistry Division since 2001 and has served as administrator for the online poster sessions since 2004, and moderator for the live sessions since 2005. He has served as President of the Louisiana/Southern Mississippi Chapter and is currently Networking Chair for the chapter.

Bill has published on diverse topics, including “Communication in the Sciences as Seen through Physics and Chemistry…” and “Cyberspace: Relationship Between Place and Being,” in addition to having given talks at ACS meetings on the future of Chemistry libraries and the Biofuel economy. He holds an MLIS and an MA in Philosophy from LSU.

Once a flamenco and classical guitarist as well as composer, Bill still has an avid interest in music, which is confined largely to listening these days, due to time constraints. He and his wife have a daughter whom they have raised bilingually in German and English – Bill has only spoken to her in German since she was born almost 18 years ago. He and his family enjoy hiking and horseback riding, among many other things.

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Lee A. Pedersen

Lee Pedersen became a librarian in 2003 with an MLIS from Dominican University. Before then, she was a seasoned professional with a Ph.D. in physical chemistry and had years of experience doing research in industry and later serving in chemistry faculty positions. Her first job as an academic librarian has been at Brown University. She started at the end of 2004. She is currently the subject librarian and department liaison for chemistry, computer science, engineering, and physics, developing the collections, doing research, conducting instruction, and creating outreach opportunities. As a research chemist, she has published in journals, presented at national and international meetings, and been granted two patents. She also was elected as the secretary and later the alternate councilor for the Pittsburgh section of the American Chemical Society. As a librarian, her research is currently in instruction and outreach. She has presented at SLA and ASEE national meetings and, recently, had a poster on her program Librarian in the Lobby at the ARL forum on 21st Century Science Libraries. Her professional memberships are DCHEM, PAM, DST, and the RI Chapter within SLA. She is currently in her first year of a two-year term as President-elect of the RI Chapter. She is also a member of the Engineering Libraries Division of the American Society for Engineering Education.

Cancelled CE Course

Due to low enrollment and the Division's tight finances at the
upcoming SLA conference, the "Advanced Chemical
Information Topics" CE course has been cancelled. The remaining three courses are
still a GO (Chemistry for Non-Chemist Librarian, Chemical
Information Sources, Diving for Patents). So, please help get the
word out about these.

Contact TedBaldwin (ted.baldwin@uc.edu)
Professional Development Chair, Chemistry Division.

ACS New Professional Award: Paulina Borrego

The SLA Chemistry Division (DCHE) and ACS Publications are pleased to announce: Paulina Borrego is the winner of the 2009 ACS New Professional Award. Ms. Borrego is currently working as a reference librarian at the Integrated Sciences and Engineering Library at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She obtained her MLIS degree from Simmons College in 2007.

ACS Publications will present Ms. Borrego with a $1500 check and an award certificate to support her attendance at the 2009 SLA Annual Conference. Presentation will take place during the DCHE Annual Business Meeting/Breakfast in Washington, D. C. on Tuesday June 16th.

DCHE would like to thank ACS Publications for their generous sponsorship of this award!
-Cory Craig
Chair of Awards Committee, SLA Chemistry Division

Sparks Award Winner: Li Zhang

The SLA Chemistry Division (DCHE) is pleased to announce: Li Zhang is the winner of the 2009 Marion E. Sparks Award for Professional Development. Ms. Zhang is currently working as a Science Librarian/ Chemistry Subject Specialist at the Mississippi State University Library. She obtained her MLS Degree in 2004 from the University of South Florida.

DCHE will present Ms. Zhang with a $1500 check and award certificate to support her attendance at the 2009 SLA Annual Conference. Presentation will take place during the DCHE Annual Business Meeting/ Breakfast in Washington, D. C. on Tuesday June 16th.

The Sparks Award is named to honor Marion E. Sparks, a pioneering and influential chemistry librarian who worked at the University of Illinois from 1913 through 1929.

-Cory Craig
Chair of Awards Committee, SLA Chemistry Division