SLA Chemistry Division (SLA-DCHE)

Out With The Old...

2011-12-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

As of December 1, 2011, the Chemistry division has a new website! The new site (and blog) will now be available from http://chemistry.sla.org. Please update your bookmarks and RSS readers accordingly.The old site and blog will no longer be accessible after Dec 31, 2011.

2011 Nominating Committee Report

2011-06-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

The DCHE 2011 Nominating Committee (Teri Vogel, Bob Buchanan, Val Tucci) has identified these candidates for the open positions in the SLA Chemistry Division:

For Chair-Elect in 2012 (a three-year term, including Chair in 2013 and Past Chair in 2014)

Susan Makar from National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD USA

For Secretary, 2012-2013 (a two-year term):

Lee Pedersen from Brown University, Providence, RI USA

Susan Makar is a librarian and chemical information specialist in the Information Services Office (ISO) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Previously, she worked as the science reference librarian at Georgetown University where she gained extensive experience assisting chemistry department faculty and graduate students. Susan received her MLS from the University of Iowa and a B.A. from Luther College.

In her current position at NIST, Susan is ISO’s web manager and a member of the lab liaison team. Her professional interests and expertise include citation and impact analysis, sci-tech publishing, web content management, chemical information resources, and digital repositories.

Susan’s professional memberships include DCHE, DST, DBIO, and the DC and MD Chapters within SLA. She is also a member of the ACS Division of Chemical Information and the Society for Scholarly Publishing. As an SLA Chemistry Division member, she was a co-program planner on the 2009 conference planning committee. Susan has presented at SLA and ACS national meetings. She was an invited speaker at the SLA MD Chapter’s Xtreme Reference conference in October 2010.

Lee A. Pedersen is currently serving as the Secretary for DCHE. Her term of office ends in 2011. She became a librarian in 2003 with an MLIS from Dominican University. Before then, she was a seasoned professional chemist with a Ph.D. in physical chemistry and 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 for the physical sciences, developing the collections, doing reference research, conducting instruction, and creating outreach opportunities. As a research chemist, she published in journals, presented at national and international meetings, and been granted two patents and a WO international patent application. 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. Her other professional memberships in SLA are PAM, DST, and the RI Chapter. She is also a member of the Engineering Libraries Division of the American Society for Engineering Education.

A notice was sent to the Chemistry Division discussion list on May 27 to solicit other potential nominees for these positions.

Respectfully submitted,
Teri M. Vogel
2011 Nominating Chair and Past-Chair - SLA Chemistry Division

Call for volunteers

2011-04-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

Dear SLA Chemistry Division Members:

We have a wonderful opportunity for two lucky volunteers to help with the final planning of the DCHE Academic Roundtable & Breakfast session. This is a rather laid back affair which offers wonderful opportunities for discussing topics of interest to the academic community of chemical information professionals. It’s a great way to get involved in Chemistry Division activities and get to know people. And there are lots of wonderful people in the Chemistry Division to get to know!

If, perchance, we happen to have more volunteers than needed for this particular program, not to worry, I feel sure we can find other opportunities to help; not only with Annual, but with other Division activities.

Please let me know as soon as possible, if you would like to volunteer to help with the Chemistry Academic Roundtable (or any other opportunity we may have available).

Thanks in advance!

Bill
Chair, SLA Chemistry Division

************************************
William W. Armstrong
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
Ph. (225) 578-2738
Email: notwwa@lsu.edu

Early Bird Registration for Annual ends Friday, April 8 - don't delay!

2011-04-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Chemistry Division Members:

Please don’t miss the opportunity to save money by registering for the SLA Annual in Philadelphia by Friday! We have an exciting set of programs lined up and hope that you will be able to find multiple events of interest to you, in addition to the networking opportunities that abound.

A complete calendar of DCHE led and co-sponsored events can be found at http://units.sla.org/division/dche/2011/index.htm. For a complete description of any given program, simply click on the event.

If you are interested in the Academic Roundtable & Breakfast, the Business Meeting & Breakfast, and/or the Corporate Roundtable & Breakfast, be sure to indicate when you register, as these are ticketed events. Even though a full breakfast menu is included, we keep the ticket prices down to $15, so it’s a real bargain and a stimulating way to begin any one of these mornings.

If you have any questions regarding Annual, don’t hesitate to email or call, and I’ll be happy to answer whatever I can.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Bill
Chair, SLA Chemistry Division, 2011

************************************
William W. Armstrong
Collection Development Coordinator, LSU Libraries
Chemistry Librarian
Liaison to Physics & Astronomy
Middleton Library
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
Ph. (225) 578-2738
Email: notwwa@lsu.edu

DCHE CE Courses at the 2011 Conference

2011-02-28T10:16:00.000-08:00

The Chemistry Division will host three continuing education (CE) courses on June 11 & 12, during the SLA 2011 conference in Philadelphia, PA. These hands-on courses will give you skills to enhance your understanding of chemistry fundamentals, chemical information, and specialized structure searching.

To purchase tickets online, go to http://www.sla.org/content/Events/conference/ac2011/registration/index.cfm. NOTE: You are not required to register for the full conference in order to attend a CE course.

Please spread the word to your colleagues (SLA members or not) who may benefit from the courses. If someone only wishes to attend CE courses, the downloadable registration form (PDF) may be an easier route: http://www.sla.org/PDFs/SLA2011/2011_attendee_reg_form.pdf. Simply choose the “Ticket Only for CE Courses” registration and enter in the course title & details in section 4.

Contact Ted Baldwin (or 513-556-4211) with any questions regarding these courses.

Title: Chemistry for the Non-Chemist Librarian
Date: Saturday, 11 June 2011
Time: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Instructors: Susan Cardinal (U. Rochester), Judith Currano (U. Pennsylvania)

Summary: Any information scientist with responsibilities for providing chemistry reference services should understand the structure and language of chemistry. This course takes a hands-on approach to introduce learners to the basic principles of the five major divisions of chemistry, chemical terminology and drawing, and other intellectual tools that chemists need to do their work. This course contains four sections: an introduction to chemistry as a science, strategies for effective communication with chemists, basic chemical concepts and research questions, and the ways in which chemists' research needs dictate their information needs.
Ticket prices: Student Member $199 , SLA Member $299 , Non-Member $399

Title: Chemical Information Sources, Requests, and Reference
Date: Sunday, 12 June 2011
Time: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Instructors: Judith Currano (U. Pennsylvania), Dawn French (Millennium Inorganic Chemicals)

Summary: This hands-on course introduces learners to the types of questions that chemical researchers ask and reference sources that can be used to answer them. It will provide an overview of the structure of the chemical literature, types of reference sources in the chemical sciences, unique access points for chemical information, and strategies for an effective search. Informal lectures, interspersed with real-world reference questions, will compare and describe the major chemical information resources.
Ticket prices: Student Member $99 , SLA Member $199 , Non-Member $299

Title: Extreme Structure Searching: Organics, Organometallics, Polymers, and Markush
Date: Sunday, 12 June 2011
Time: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Instructors: Denise Callihan (PPG Industries), Judith Currano (U. Pennsylvania)

Summary: This course will introduce participants to specialized search techniques for small molecules in the chemical literature: profiling organic, organometallic and catalytic substances by substructure, applying structure and substructure search techniques to polymer searching, and using basic substructure and Markush search strategies for patent information retrieval. Participants will learn the basics of creating a substructure, progressing to more advanced techniques and recommendations of where, when, and how to use them. This will be followed by techniques of locating organometallics and polymers using the substructure techniques to patent searching, including learning the basics of Markush searching.
Ticket prices: Student Member $99 , SLA Member $199 , Non-Member $299

Poster Call - 2011 Conference

2010-11-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS! CALL FOR ABSTRACTS!
All Sciences Poster Session – June 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

SESSION CO-SPONSORS:
SLA Biomedical & Life Sciences, Chemistry, Engineering, Food Agriculture and Nutrition, Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics, and Science-Technology Divisions

Conference theme this year is “FUTURE READY”

Your poster presentation could help your colleagues immeasurably as we all seek to cultivate or enhance scientists' knowledge management skills and to demonstrate the value of our services to our parent organizations or potential clients. The poster session provides an informal and lively venue for sharing your innovative ideas on an important topic.

ELIGIBILITY:
Any SLA member is welcome to submit an abstract. In the event that a greater number of submissions are received than can be accommodated, members of the sponsoring science divisions will be given first preference.

GUIDELINES and LAYOUT:
Guidelines for materials and layout of poster presentations are available on the SLA Chemistry Division website at http://www.sla.org/division/dche/poster.html

SUBMISSION of ABSTRACT:

DEADLINE is February 1, 2011

Please submit your name, institution, email address, poster title, and description (250 words or less) by email to SLAposter2011@gmail.com

NOTIFICATION of ACCEPTANCE:
All applicants will be notified re: poster proposal acceptance on or before March 1, 2011.

FOR QUESTIONS, CONTACT:
Rebecca A. Godwin
Library / Resources Management
Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
2510 Sam Noble Parkway
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73401
ragodwin@noble.org
580-224-6260

Webcast Recording & Slides - Chem Info for the Non-Practitioner

2010-11-05T05:18:00.000-07:00

The recording of the October 19 webcast "Chemical Information for the Non-Practitioner" is now available for viewing. Some slides were difficult to read on the recording, so this file has been available separately (PDF format).

Webcast Recording:
http://goodwincollege.na4.acrobat.com/p65777557/
Slides:
http://units.sla.org/division/dche/webcasts/Currano-SLA-Oct19Webcast.pdf

Many thanks to Judith Currano for an excellent presentation!

Please contact Ted Baldwin (Professional Development Chair, SLA Chemistry Division) with any questions: Ted.Baldwin@uc.edu. I welcome your ideas on future professional development offerings.

Enjoy!

Call for Wiggins-Roth Award

2010-10-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

2011 Wiggins-Roth Award for Outstanding Service
The Chemistry Division of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) is sponsoring an award for members that have made outstanding contributions to the field of chemical information. The Awards Committee expects this award will be given out every few years depending on nominations received.

AWARD:
$1,000 honorarium. The winner will also receive a certificate of achievement and will be introduced at the Chemistry Division Business Meeting & Breakfast. There is no requirement that this award be given out every year.

ELIGIBILITY:
All members of the Chemistry Division who have been a member since January 2006 are eligible excluding members of the elected Executive Board and the current Awards Committee.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Please submit the following:
* Name of nominee. Self nominations are not accepted.
* A biographical sketch.
* A brief description (1-2 pages) of the nominee’s contribution to the field of chemical information
* Two or three letters of recommendation
* Other documentation in support of the nominee.

DEADLINE:
All applications must be received by December 3, 2010. The winner will be notified by March 1, 2011. Applications will be evaluated by the SLA Chemistry Division Awards Committee.

HISTORY:
This award is named in honor of Gary Wiggins and Dana Roth, SLA Hall of Famers. These two individuals are well-known and highly-regarded for both their tremendous contributions to the field of chemical information, and their enthusiasm for sharing their expertise with others in the profession.

Gary Wiggins was the director of the chemical informatics program, and an adjunct professor of informatics at Indiana University. Previously, he was the head of the Indiana University chemistry library for 27 years. Gary was the list owner of CHMINF-L (the Chemical Information Sources Discussion List), one of the longest running listservs in the world. He also maintained the Joint SLA/American Chemical Society Clearinghouse for Chemical Information Instructional Materials and a Web guide to Internet and other chemistry resources, CHEMINFO, Chemical Information Sources from Indiana University. He is the author of the book Chemical Information Sources and its online successor "Chemical Information Sources Wiki" and numerous articles on science librarianship and information handling, He holds a B. A. in chemistry and Russian, a M. A. in Slavic languages and literature, an M.L.S., and a Ph.D. in library and information science.

Dana Roth is the Chemistry Librarian at the California Institute of Technology, where he celebrated his 40th year of service in 2007. He spent two years early in his career as a library advisor at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India. Dana has produced and shared insightful studies of journal pricing data, and has served on publishers' journal advisory boards, including the Royal Society of Chemistry and Springer. He has authored numerous journal articles. His remarkable and vast knowledge and insights are frequently shared with a global community of chemical information professionals via the CHMINF-L (Chemical Information Sources) email discussion list. Dana holds a B.S. and an M.S. in chemistry, and an M.L.S.

SUBMIT APPLICATION VIA EMAIL TO:

Luray M. Minkiewicz
Past Chair, SLA Chemistry Division
Supervisor, External Content Management
DuPont Co.
CR&D/Information & Computing Technologies
Experimental Station, E301
P. O. Box 80301
Wilmington, DE 19880-0301 USA
302-695-1257 (voice)
302-695-1350 (fax)
luray.m.minkiewicz@usa.dupont.com

Web Conference Opens Today!

2010-10-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Don't forget, the web portion of our wonderful All-Sciences Poster Session begins today:

Location: http://forum.lib.lsu.edu/slachem
What: Posters and presenters from the SLA All Sciences Poster Session event in New Orleans

Three Themes:
I. New Strategic Alignments
II. Survival and Success Beyond an Economic Recession
III. Information Literacy, User Instruction and E-Learning: New Methods, New Participants, New Tools

SLA Division Sponsors: Biomedical & Life Sciences; Chemistry; Engineering; Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition; Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics; and Science-Technology

Dates: October 14 - November 1, 2010
Registration: free
Format: asynchronous discussion, open 24 hours a day

Chemical Info for the Non-Practitioner (10/19 Webcast)

2010-10-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

The SLA Chemistry Division is pleased to co-sponsor an upcoming webcast, featuring the Division’s very own Judith Currano. This educational webcast will teach you the basics of locating chemical information.

“Chemical Information for the Non-Practitioner” begins at 6:00pm EST on Tuesday, October 19. This webcast is free, although advanced registration is required (by Monday, October 18 at noon EST). Note: the onsite program is held in Philadelphia, and includes a tour of the Chemical Heritage Foundation prior to the webcast. More details follow.

DESCRIPTION:
This session will provide sources and insight into the process of locating chemical information for those without a science background. Even if you’re a seasoned professional, this session will demonstrate some new approaches to age-old questions in the chemical field.
By the end of the session, attendees will be able to:

Understand the organization of the chemical literature and the unique access points that it offers
Identify key sources or types of source for various types of chemical reference questions,
Be aware of the specialized search techniques that exist to answer particular types of question.

Sponsored by the SLA Philadelphia Chapter and SLA Chemistry Division. The webcast will also be recorded and archived.

2011 Chair-Elect, 2011-2012 Treasurer

2010-07-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

At the Business Meeting last month in New Orleans, the Nominating Committee's report was accepted. Congratulations to:

Marie Fraties-Block (BASF)
2011 DCHE Chair-Elect
Yan He (Georgetown University)
2011-2012 DCHE Treasurer

Marie and Yan will be joining Bill, Lee and I on next year's Executive Board.

Future of Science Librarianship - Contributed Papers

2010-07-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

The first video presentation from this year's Sci-Tech Contributed Papers session is now online: (DCHE Member) Dana Roth's The Future of Librarianship in Science & Technology Libraries. The remaining videos will be up shortly.

Polymer Information Resources: Bibliography

2010-07-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

Ann Bolek's bibliography of polymer information resources is online at http://gozips.uakron.edu/~bolek/polymer.html.

Collection Intelligence: Presentations

2010-07-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

The presentations for the Collection Intelligence session at SLA are now online:

Hilary Davis, NCSU
Mary Lane, Lorillard Tobacco Company
Mathew Willmott, MIT

2010 Conference - THANKS

2010-06-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Another great round of CE courses, presentations, posters and networking came and went last week in (hot and humid) New Orleans at the 2010 SLA Conference. Reports from the various sessions will be published in the next issue of Sci-Tech News. And if you have additional feedback on this year’s programs or suggestions for next year’s conference, please send them to Bill Armstrong (notwaa@lsu.edu), next year’s DCHE Chair.

THANKS to everyone who helped make this year’s Chemistry Division programming at the SLA Conference a success:

Cory Craig and Jack Bashian, my program co-planners. They arranged our four sessions that involved speakers (Mobile Devices, Vendor Update, Renewable Materials and Polymer Information), and generally helped me keep my sanity.
Ted Baldwin for organizing the CE courses, and Judith Currano, Dawn French and Bartow Culp for teaching those courses.
Our session presenters, including Ann Bolek, Marie Fraties-Block, Dr. H.N. Cheng, Antony Williams, Joe Murphy and Robin Dasler. Also to ACS Pubs, RSC, CAS and Nature for participating in our Vendor Update.
Cory, Jack and Norah Xiao for moderating those sessions.
Ben Wagner, Luti Salisbury, Theo Jones-Quartey for moderating our breakfast roundtables.
Ye Li for organizing our No-Host Dinner, and Judith for helping me organize our Newcomers Lunch.
Loren Mendelsohn, for securing most of our sponsorship this year, as well as Jack and Luray Minkiewicz for their additional assistance in reaching out to potential sponsors.
Our Poster Committee, who along with liaisons from 5 divisions, organized another great poster session (20+ posters). And Irene Laursen for providing so much assistance with the reception.
The FAN, Sci-Tech and PAM Divisions, for taking the lead on organizing the Science of Hot Sauce, Collection Intelligence and Data Curation sessions.
Bob Buchanan for his treasurer reports, Lee Pedersen for taking minutes (and introducing us to a smartpen), and Bill Armstrong for printing and bringing the evaluation forms and the large poster session sign.
Bullitt Darlington at webuybooks.net for making our ever-popular ‘dance cards.’
Kristin Foldvik and Akisha Edogun at SLA Headquarters, who provide endless support to all the conference planners.
All DCHE members who attended our programs at the Conference.

And an additional THANK YOU to our sponsors, whose financial support helped make our programs possible:

Conference Meeting Documents Posted

2010-06-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

The 6/12 Board Meeting Agenda, Nomination Report, and minutes from the 2/4 Board Meeting (held by teleconference) have been posted to the Reports & Minutes section of the DCHE website.

DCHE Survey on SLA's 2009 Proposed Name Change

2010-06-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

DCHE Survey Results and Analysis
Answers to Question 5
Answers to Question 7
Answers to Question 9
----answers to questions 5,7 and 9 sorted to display alphabetically

As you may remember, the SLA membership was asked to vote for or against a proposed name change (Association of Strategic Knowledge Professionals) late last year.

During the debate and voting period, I sent out a survey to the Chemistry Division to get your opinion on the name. Regardless of the final vote, we felt it was important to have a record of what the DCHE membership thought at the time, including how our division’s voting would compare with the larger association.

We also asked about your knowledge of the Alignment Project, how you kept up with the debate and discussion before and during the vote, and how you felt SLA had handled the process.

My thanks to the Executive and Advisory Boards for their feedback, as well as everyone who took the time to complete the survey.

2010 Sparks Award for Ye Li

2010-05-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

2010 Marion E. Sparks Award for Professional Development

The SLA Chemistry Division (DCHE) is pleased to announce: Ye Li is the winner of the 2010 Marion E. Sparks Award for Professional Development. Ms. Li is the Chemistry Librarian at the Shapiro Science Library at the University of Michigan. She obtained her Masters degree in Library Science and her PhD in Chemistry at the University of Iowa in 2009.

DCHE will present Ms. Li with a $1500 check and award certificate to support her attendance at the 2010 SLA Annual Conference. Presentation will take place during the DCHE Annual Business Meeting/Breakfast in New Orleans, LA on Tuesday June 15th.

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.

Sci-Tech News - Issue #2 Online

2010-05-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

The second online issue of Sci-Tech News—the official bulletin of the SLA Chemistry, Engineering, & Sci-Tech Divisions—is now available: http://www.sla.org/scitechnews.

Included in this issue:

Message from the Chemistry Division Chair, with profiles on new members Hope Leman and Khue Duong. Hope also contributed another article and (yes!) poetry.
Message from the MRM Section Chair.
Bob Buchanan’s ‘Beyond the Chemistry Web’
Conference report from the American Chemical Society Meeting, held this spring in San Francisco.

The next one will focus on the upcoming conference, with an August 1 deadline for all submissions. I’m sending out a call later today for conference reporters.

If you would like to contribute an article for this next issue, including a report from another conference you’re attending this summer, please contact Kiem Ta (kiem.ta@okstate.edu) and me.
If you want to be included in the next Membership Corner section, please contact Dana Roth (dzrlib@library.caltech.edu).

Chemistry Division Breakfasts at SLA Conference

2010-05-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

If you're attending SLA this year in New Orleans, don't forget to order your breakfast tickets.

ROUNDTABLES - Join your DCHE colleagues for breakfast, networking and a spirited discussion on current topics and concerns.

Academic Roundtable Breakfast (Monday, 6/14, 7:30-9:30am, $10, Ticket #400)
--Sponsored by ACS Publications
--Moderated by Ben Wagner and Luti Salisbury
Corporate Roundtable Breakfast (Wednesday, 6/16, 7:30-9:30am, $10, Ticket #700)
--Sponsored by GLTaC, Inc.
--Moderated by Theo Jones-Quartey

BUSINESS MEETING - Networking breakfast and reports from the Executive and Advisory Board about DCHE activities. It's a chance to talk to Board members about getting involved in the Division. We'll also honor this year's Sparks Award winner.

Chemistry Division Breakfast & Business Meeting (Tuesday, 6/15, 7:30-9:30am, $15, Ticket #500)
--Sponsored by ACS Publications
--Moderated by Teri Vogel

Nominations Announced

2010-05-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

The SLA Chemistry Division’s Nominations Committee is pleased to announce their candidates for Treasurer and Chair-Elect (terms starting in 2011).

Chair-elect: Marie Fraties-Block

Treasurer: Yan He

To suggest additional candidates, send a petition with the names of 10 members along with the written consent of the proposed candidates to either Luray M. Minkiewicz, Cathy DiPalma or Mary Ann Mahoney by May 25.

Marie Fraties-Block
Marie is currently the senior librarian for BASF Corporation and has been employed there since 1990. Previously she was employed at Bon Secours Hospital in Grosse Pointe, MI as the medical librarian. Marie received an MLS from the University of Pittsburgh and a B. A. from Central Michigan University.

Marie has been a member of SLA since 1992. As a Chemistry Division member she was the co-chair of the 2007 conference planning committee and was part of the 2008 nominating committee. In addition, Marie will participate at the 2010 annual conference at a panelist for the session on “Resources for Polymer Information” Marie has been involved with the SLA Michigan Chapter for many years and most recently as the Hospitality Committee Chair.

Marie notes that she takes the opportunity to attend SLA’s annual conferences because she gains practical work-related information, connects with informative and influential people, and develops lasting business contacts.

Yan He

Yan obtained her B.S. in Chemistry from Beijing Normal University and M.S. in Organic Chemistry from Peking University in China. After she came to the states, she finished all PhD coursework in Organic Chemistry at University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) and she obtained her M.L.S. with Chemical Information Specialization from the School of Library and Information Science at Indiana University (Bloomington) in 2006. Yan was the winner of the SLA Chemistry Division Marion E. Sparks Award for Professional Development in 2006. Yan has been the Science Reference Librarian and Chemistry and Mathematics Bibliographer at the Blommer Science Library of Georgetown University since 2007. She has coordinated several recent SLA Chemistry Division No-Host Dinner events at the SLA Annual Conferences.

Sci-Tech News - Now Online

2010-03-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

Sci-Tech News, the official bulletin for the Sci-Tech, Chemistry and Engineering Divisions has relaunched as an online newsletter. The first issue can be viewed here.

From the Chemistry Division:

News from the Chair, Chair-Elect and MRM Section Chair, along with a preview of the DCHE schedule at the conference.
Bob Buchanan's Beyond the Chemistry Web

For the rest of 2010, we will use Sci-Tech News as our main newsletter, to see if it can (and should) replace our DCHE newsletter.

We are always looking for contributions to the newsletter. It can be about technology, chemical information, a report from a conference, or something going on in your library you want to share. If you're interested in submitting an article, please contact Kiem Ta (kiem.ta@okstate.edu). The deadline for the next issue is April 1.

Assessing Collections & Information Resources in Science & Technology (Call for Presentations)

2010-02-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS - Assessing Collections & Information Resources in Science & Technology
co-sponsored by ACS CINF and SLA Chemistry Division

240th ACS National Meeting & Exposition
Boston, Massachusetts, August 22-26, 2010
CINF Division

Collections and resources for scientific information are changing rapidly in format and accessibility, budget pressures are forcing hard decisions. How can information professionals assess the utility of collections for their clientele? Do you monitor usage statistics or other measures? How do they influence your decision making for managing budgets and services? How do different stakeholders utilize information about usage? We are interested in presentations from librarians, publishers and other information professionals on best practices for tackling this kaleidoscope of issues.

Topics might include:

how libraries use usage stats
how to compare similar resources to each other (such as Reaxys & SciFinder)
journals / ebooks / databases - different resources, different stats
how can compare different publishers (standardization)
how publishers use data
technical issues around stats
how to use stats on cancellations?
qualitative information methodologies (ex. Focus groups)

Abstracts may be submitted via: http://abstracts.acs.org
Submissions will be accepted through March 28, 2010.

Please contact: Leah Solla (leah.solla@cornell.edu) or Erja Kajosalo (kajosalo@mit.edu) for more information.

Call for Posters: 2010 Conference

2010-02-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

All Sciences Poster Session - June 15, 2010 (Tuesday) - SLA Conference, New Orleans

SESSION CO-SPONSORS:
Biomedical & Life Sciences, Chemistry, Engineering, Food Agriculture and Nutrition, Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics, and Science-Technology Divisions, Special Libraries Association

CALL FOR POSTERS:
Is your library or knowledge center engaged in a new or innovative project that builds on a new strategic alignment, develops or adapts a novel operational model to reframe services, or synthesizes creative approaches to achieve scientific information or visual fluency in your group or organization?

Please consider sharing the results of your efforts at the upcoming All-Sciences Poster Session on Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at the Annual SLA Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. We are looking for poster submissions that explore any of these themes [more information about these poster themes are at the end of this post].:

New Strategic Alignments
Survival and Success Beyond an Economic Recession
Information Literacy, User Instruction and E-Learning in the Sciences During and Beyond an Economic Recession: New Methods, New Participants, New Tools

Your poster presentation could help your colleagues immeasurably as we all seek to cultivate or enhance scientists' knowledge management skills and to demonstrate the value of our services to our parent organizations or potential clients. The poster session provides an informal and lively venue for sharing your innovative ideas on an important topic.

ELIGIBILITY:
Any SLA member is welcome to submit an abstract. In the event that a greater number of submissions are received than can be accommodated, members of the sponsoring science divisions will be given first preference.

GUIDELINES and LAYOUT:
Guidelines for materials and layout of poster presentations are available on the SLA Chemistry Division website at http://www.sla.org/division/dche/poster.html.

SUBMISSION of ABSTRACT:

DEADLINE is March 15, 2010
Please submit your name, institution, email address, poster title, and description (250 words or less) by email to Bill Armstrong at notwwa@lsu.edu

NOTIFICATION of ACCEPTANCE:
All applicants will be notified re: poster proposal acceptance on or before April 1, 2010.

QUESTIONS:
Contact Bill Armstrong (notwwa@lsu.edu) and/or Irene Laursen (irenelaursen@ymail.com)

POSTER THEMES

1. NEW STRATEGIC ALIGNMENTS
In the currently recovering global economy, new cooperative arrangements are emerging to help our parent organizations or our core units--libraries, information centers, knowledge bases--adjust to rapidly evolving economic conditions. These developments may include new consortial initiatives, redesign of specific sectors of the workforce, outreach to new constituencies, innovative alliances between academe and the for-profit sector, or other collaborative scientific ventures. Come share pivotal steps of the process, changes in responsibilities or reporting relationships, and lessons learned from the success or failure of these ventures in the sciences.

2. SURVIVAL AND SUCCESS BEYOND AN ECONOMIC RECESSION
How do we promote, preserve, and redesign our research and analytical services in 2010 and beyond ? Let's look at how new operational models (scientific, technical, engineering, and medical e-book vendors, formal and informal modes of scientific communication, intergovernmental initiatives) are evolving, what we can do to improve them, and projections for academe, business, and industry in the scientific environment.

3. INFORMATION LITERACY, USER INSTRUCTION, AND E-LEARNING IN THE SCIENCES DURING AND BEYOND THE RECESSION: NEW METHODS, NEW PARTICIPANTS, NEW TOOLS

a. New tools and techniques for the interdisciplinary scientific information professional dealing with electronic management of citations, data, structures, graphical analysis, mapping, and/or presentations. Including innovative uses of social networking applications.

b. Electronic demos, tutorials, games in the sciences
Who produces them (publisher, in-house development) Who uses them? How are they funded, developed, publicized, marketed, and evaluated? What is their useful lifetime?

c. Scientific Information Fluency
What successes or failures have you encountered in teaching patrons – faculty, students, researchers, etc. – new ways of handling information in an all-electronic workflow, from the literature search to the discovery and publication process?

2010 Chemistry Division CE Courses

2010-01-29T07:12:00.000-08:00

Will you be at the Special Libraries Association 101^st annual conference in New Orleans this June? Please consider attending the SLA Chemistry Division’s Continuing Education courses on June 12-13. These highly-regarded courses provide essential hands-on learning on the fundamentals of chemistry and chemical information, and are taught by experts in their field. Full course details are provided below. Both courses provide discounted rates for SLA student members.

SLA 2010 conference registration is now open at http://s36.a2zinc.net/clients/sla/sla2010/public/enter.aspx. CE course tickets can be purchased during the registration process.

Note: you are NOT required to attend the conference in order to come to a CE course. Contact Ted Baldwin for details.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chemistry for the Non-Chemist Librarian

Date: Saturday, June 12, 2010, 8am-5pm

Ticket # 130 : $299 members / $399 non-members / $149 student members (limit 5)

Instructors: Bartow Culp (Purdue U.), Judith Currano (U. of Pennsylvania)

Description: It is necessary that any information scientist with responsibilities for providing chemistry reference services understand the structure and language of chemistry. This course takes a hands-on approach to introduce learners to the five major divisions of chemistry, their basic principles, and the intellectual tools that chemists need to do their work. It will be composed of three basic sections, an introduction to chemistry as a science, basic concepts and research questions in chemistry and strategies for effective communication with chemists, and the ways in which chemists' research needs dictate their information needs. SPECIAL NOTE: Student Member Rate = $149.

Chemical Information Sources, Request, and References

Date: Sunday, June 13, 2010, 8am-12noon

Ticket # 305 : $199 members / $299 non-members / $99 student members (limit 5)

Instructors: Judith Currano (U. of Pennsylvania), Dawn French (Millennium Inorganic Chemicals)

Description: The course takes a hands-on approach to introduce learners to the types of questions that chemical researchers ask and reference sources that can be used to answer them. It will provide an overview of the structure of the chemical literature, types of reference sources in the chemical sciences, unique access points for chemical information, and strategies for an effective search. Informal lectures, interspersed with hands-on reference questions, will compare and describe the major chemical information resources. SPECIAL NOTE: Student Member Rate = $99.

DCHE Executive Board for 2010

2010-01-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

The DCHE Executive Board for 2010. The Advisory Board & Committee members will be posted later this month.

Chair:
Teri Vogel, UC San Diego

Chair-Elect:
Bill Armstrong, Louisiana State University

Past-Chair:
Luray Minkiewicz, E I DuPont De Nemours Co

Secretary (2010-2011):
Lee Pedersen, Brown University

Treasurer (2009-2010):
Bob Buchanan, Auburn University

2010 Sparks Award for Professional Development

2010-01-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

2010 Marion E. Sparks Award for Professional Development

The Chemistry Division of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) is sponsoring a student/new member travel award to defray the costs of attending the 2010 SLA Annual Meeting June 13-16 in New Orleans, LA. The award is intended to encourage the professional development of student members and new members of the Chemistry Division and encourage their participation in Chemistry Division activities.

TRAVEL AWARD: $1,500 stipend to attend the 2010 SLA Annual Conference. The winner will also receive a certificate of achievement and will be introduced at the Chemistry Division Business Meeting & Breakfast.

ELIGIBILITY: All student members of the SLA Chemistry Division and all new members of the SLA Chemistry Division (individuals who have joined since January 2009) are eligible. All applicants must have joined the SLA Chemistry Division by February 16, 2010. See below for how to join.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Please submit the following:
-A brief essay that: a) clearly articulates your objectives for professional development; and b) indicates what you hope to gain from attending the SLA Annual Meeting. Maximum length: 2 pages.
-Resumé
-Names of two references.
-Brief budget (expected expenses for registration, airfare, lodging, food and/or continuing education course).
Registration in a Chemistry Division or other Continuing Education (CE) course is recommended, but not required.

DEADLINE: All applications for the award must be received by March 1, 2010 (all applicants must have joined the SLA Chemistry Division by February 16, 2010). The winner will be notified March 15, 2010. Essays will be judged by the SLA Chemistry Division Awards Committee.

SUBMIT APPLICATION VIA EMAIL TO:
Cory Craig
University of California, Davis
Physical Sciences & Engineering Library
One Shields Avenue
Davis, California 95616-8676 cjcraig@ucdavis.edu

SLA CHEMISTRY DIVISION SPARKS AWARD: http://www.sla.org/division/dche/sparks.htm

HISTORY: The award is named to honor Marion E. Sparks, a chemistry librarian at the University of Illinois from 1913 until her death in 1929. Ms. Sparks contributed a great deal to the field of chemical information, her achievements include teaching courses on chemical information, and authoring and publishing what is argued to be the first book to formally address chemical literature and library instruction.

Want to join the Chemistry Division of SLA?
Not a member of SLA? Use this link to join SLA: http://www.sla.org/content/membership/joinsla/index.cfm
When you join SLA, you can also join one division for free, additional divisions are $18/year.

Already an SLA member? To join the Chemistry Division either: 1) Download the SLA Change/Add Units form: http://www.sla.org/content/membership/unitchange.cfm and fax or mail it to SLA. Or 2) Call 1-703-647-4936 and pay with a credit card. When you join SLA, you can also join one division for free, additional divisions are $18/year.

The Vote Is In: SLA will remain SLA

2009-12-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

With 50 percent of eligible members voting, the proposal to change our name from Special Libraries Association to Association for Strategic Information Professionals was rejected.

YES: 2071
NO: 3225

"Our name will remain," [SLA 2009 President Gloria] Zamora continued, "but we will go forward with developing opportunities for our members to use the Alignment findings to demonstrate their contributions to the organizations that employ them."

"Information and knowledge professionals are critical assets to the organizations that employ them, yet their contributions and capabilities are too often underestimated," said SLA CEO Janice R. Lachance. "The findings of the Alignment Project research will guide SLA in developing services and programs that will more successfully position these professionals in the marketplace and attract the recognition and compensation they deserve."

2009 SLA All Sciences Online Poster Session now underway

2009-10-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

The 2009 SLA All Sciences Online Poster Session is now underway and will run from October 15 -29. The web conference features many of the posters originally presented at the SLA Annual Meeting, June 2009 at the All Sciences Poster Session and Reception in Washington, D.C. Division sponsors of the online event, as with the physical session, are: Biomedical & Life Sciences; Chemistry; Engineering; Food, Agriculture & Nutrition; Physics, Astronomy, Mathematics; Science-Technology.

A total of 14 posters are being offered under the two major themes which are

Theme I: Scientific Information Workflow: Librarian Perspectives, Best Practices, and Models in the Digital Era
and
Theme II: Innovations and Best Practices in Biomedical and Life Sciences Libraries

Details of the schedule, along with access to the discussion forums and the presentations themselves can be found at the location link below.

If you did not get to see these posters in Washington, D.C., or comment, ask questions, or exchange ideas with the presenters at the time, now’s your chance. Come peruse the poster selections and participate in the discussions which will take place in an asynchronous format, thereby freeing you from time constraints. But there is one inescapable time limit, and that is October 29, so don’t wait too late to participate.

Location: http://forum.lib.lsu.edu/slachem/
Registration: free (registration is necessary to post questions and comments, but not to view the presentations –we do hope you will choose to engage in the discussions, however)

SLA DCHE Survey

2009-08-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

Members of the SLA Chemistry Division ---

It’s been 5 years since the Division last “took the pulse” of our membership, so it’s time to tell us (the Division Board and Committees) what’s important to you. Tell us what it is you need and what you think should be the Division’s focus; this will help the Division effectively plan the activities that will be offered to you in the near future. The survey covers communication, professional development, membership, mentoring, and also provides the chance for you to comment on other topics. Please take a few minutes and fill out the Strategic Planning survey; the survey will be open for 3 weeks (from August 13 to September 7th.)

Enter the Survey here

Don’t miss this opportunity to have your opinions heard!

Linda Shackle, Strategic Planning
Luray M Minkiewicz, Division Chair
Judith Currano, Membership
Ted Baldwin, Professional Development

If you have any difficulty getting to the survey, please contact Linda Shackle at linda.shackle@asu.edu

DCHE Session on Interdisciplinary Science (Inside Higher Ed)

2009-06-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

Inside Higher Ed reported on "Interdisciplinary Science and Its Impact on Information Professionals," one of the SLA Chemistry Division programs (co-organized with the Social Sciences Division) at this year's SLA Annual Conference in Washington DC.

The Interdisciplinary Science Library - June 17, 2009

Carol Tenopir envisions academe as entirely connected. With interdisciplinary research creating more and more fields of study throughout higher education, university libraries are becoming the hub of the growing body of academic work spawned by these new disciplines. In a session here at the Special Libraries Association annual meeting, she told the audience that information professionals should embrace these new bodies of interdisciplinary thought both by helping scholars to access them and by taking an active role in compiling them.

Other speakers at the program: librarians Daureen Nesdill from the University of Utah, Kevin Lindstrom from the University of British Columbia, and Brandy King from Harvard University's Center on Media and Child Health.

April - June 2009 Newsletter Available

2009-06-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

The April - June 2009 Newsletter is now online, including:

a conference preview from our Chair

A report on the ACS Spring 2009 Meeting by Meghan Lafferty

Useful website for the 2009 SLA Annual Conference

If you are interested in contributing to future newsletters, please contact Kiem Ta (kiem.ta@okstate.edu) or Kevin Lindstrom (kevin.lindstrom@ubc.ca).

All Sciences Poster Session Abstracts Available

2009-05-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

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

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.

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

2009-05-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009 Conference Schedule Now Online

2009-03-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

The Chemistry Division events for the 2009 Conference are now posted. We will continue to update the schedule as we get more information on speakers, sponsors and room locations.

Jan-Mar 2009 Newsletter Available

2009-03-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Jan-Mar 2009 Newsletter is now online, including:

Messages from the Chair, Chair-Elect, and MRM Section Chair
Bob Buchanan's 'Beyond the Chemistry Web'

If you are interested in contributing to future newsletters, please contact Kiem Ta (kiem.ta@okstate.edu) or Kevin Lindstrom (kevin.lindstrom@ubc.ca).

Click U Online Courses Now Included in SLA Membership

2009-02-26T23:19:00.000-08:00

Special Libraries Association (SLA) now offers free online courses as an exclusive benefit to SLA members. The free programming encompasses all non-certificate online courses that are part of SLA’s Click University, including programs such as Click U twice-monthly Webinars, the SLA Online Libraries and Click U Replays. Also available to members as part of their membership dues are execuBooks, recorded Annual Conference continuing education courses, 23 Things, the SLA Innovation Lab and SLA Leadership Training.

Click U Premium courses at the SLA Annual Conference and the Click U Premium Certificate Programs in knowledge management, competitive intelligence, and copyright management will remain as fee-based offerings.

Division CE Courses at SLA 2009

2009-01-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

These highly-regarded courses are taught by experts in their fields, and provide essential and hands-on learning in chemical information, patents, and specialized information topics (substructures, biosequences, polymers).

Note that some courses provide discounted registration for student members.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(1) Diving into Patents: A Primer for Librarians
Date: Saturday, June 13, 2009, 8am-5pm
Tickets: $299 members / $399 non-members (no student discount)
Instructors: Denise Callihan (PPG Industries), Jan Comfort (Clemson U.), Michael White (Queens U.)

(2) Chemistry for the Non-Chemist Librarian
Date: Saturday, June 13, 2009, 8am-5pm
Tickets: $299 members / $399 non-members / $149 student members (limit 5)
Instructors: Bartow Culp (Purdue U.), Judith Currano (U. of Pennsylvania)

(3) Chemical Information Sources, Request, and References
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2009, 8am-12noon
Tickets: $199 members / $299 non-members / $99 student members (limit 5)
Instructors: Denise Callihan (PPG Industries), Bartow Culp (Purdue U.), Judith Currano (U. of Pennsylvania)

(4) Advanced Chemical Information Topics: Substructures, Sequences, and Polymers
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2009, 1pm-5pm
Tickets: $199 members / $299 non-members (no student discount)
Instructors: Ted Baldwin (U. of Cincinnati), Judith Currano (U. of Pennsylvania)

Call for Posters: 2009 in Washington DC

2009-01-28T19:32:00.000-08:00

Call for Posters, 2009 Annual Conference (Washington DC)

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

SPONSOR: Chemistry Division
LOCATION/DATE/TIME: SLA Annual Conference - Washington DC; Tuesday, June 16, 5:00pm – 6:30pm

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: March 15, 2009

DESCRIPTION:
How often have you encountered faculty, students, or corporate researchers struggling to adapt to the nature of electronic information flows, yet clinging to paper schemes that no longer work effectively? Paper workflows in an electronic environment not only slow the research process, but also foster patron resistance to increasing amounts of available electronic information.

Today a vast array of possibilities helps us improve information flow
efficiency: custom search alerts, citation management software, PDF storage and retrieval on personal computers, production/storage and sharing of data compilations in large repositories, electronic collaboration tools (e.g., Delicious, Connotea, etc.), and more. What methods for creating new models of electronic workflows have you recently adopted or experimentally piloted? What successes or failures have you encountered in teaching patrons – faculty, students, researchers, etc. – new ways of handling information in an all-electronic workflow, from the literature search to the discovery and publication process?

Please consider sharing the results of your efforts at the upcoming All-Sciences Poster Session at the Annual SLA Conference in Washington, D.C., June 2009. Your poster presentation could help your colleagues immeasurably as we all seek to cultivate or improve scientists' digital information management skills. The poster session provides an informal and lively venue for sharing your innovative ideas on an important topic.

Guidelines for materials and layout of poster presentations are available on the SLA Chemistry Division website at http://www.sla.org/division/dche/poster.html.

SUMBISSION DETAILS:
Please submit your name, institution, email address, poster title, and description (250 words or less) by email to Bill Armstrong at notwwa@lsu.edu. The deadline for submissions is March 15, 2009. Any SLA member is welcome to submit an abstract for consideration. In the event that a greater number of submissions are received than can be accommodated, members of the Chemistry Division will be given first preference. All applicants will be notified re: poster proposal acceptance on or before April 1, 2009.

CONTACT:
William W. Armstrong (notwwa@lsu.edu)
Sciences Collection Development Coordinator
Chemistry Librarian
Liaison to Physics & Astronomy
Middleton Library
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge , LA 70803 USA
Ph. (225) 578-2738
Fax: (225) 578-9432

A Note from the Chair-Elect

2008-12-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a great experience at the SLA Conference in Seattle in June. The conference was filled with opportunities to learn and network and to celebrate our profession. I hope that you all returned back to your organizations and were able to put at least one new thing you learned into practice already.

I enjoyed meeting some “Newcomers” to the Chemistry Division at the Newcomers’ Luncheon, congratulating the award winners at the Business Meeting, learning about alternative fuels and some hot technologies, and networking with new and old friends at the Chemistry Division’s Speed Networking/Open House Reception and the All Sciences Poster Session. HINT: if you happened to miss seeing any of the posters, there was an opportunity to view them via the online web poster session in October – November. You can still find them at http://forum.lib.lsu.edu/slachem.

Also at this conference the planners for the 2009 conference met twice and we are gearing up to set the schedules and topics for next year’s programs. You will see some familiar program sessions again, such as the Roundtable event. We also want to continue the Speed Networking concept for the Chemistry Division Open House Reception, and it appears as if the All Sciences Poster Session/Reception will do an encore performance.

Please stay tuned to the Chemistry Division discussion list to learn more about the other program topics being planned because we may put a call out for moderators, speakers and panelists in the next few months.

To join the SLA Chemistry Division discussion list, SLA-DCHE, please go to:
http://units.sla.org/division/dche/listserv.htm

Luray M. Minkiewicz, SLA Chemistry Division Chair-Elect
luray.m.minkiewicz@usa.dupont.com

News from the MRM Section Chair

2008-12-19T10:23:00.000-08:00

Help us stay in touch!

The MRM section Board is continuing to work on some of the projects identified during our annual business meeting held a few months ago. Communications is the theme of the year, and our listserv and web page are the two best ways we have to communicate as needed with members and non-members alike.

Currently we’re reconciling the list of section members (as reflected by SLA’s records) and the names of people who are registered with the list, to identify those MRM section members who have not joined the list, and directly invite those members to join. It’s not a requirement, by any means, but it sure makes it easier to communicate!

To stay in touch between newsletters:

Visit the website at http://units.sla.org/division/dche/mrm/index.htm

Join the list by e-mailing Lyris@lists.sla.org. The body of the message should say: Subscribe sla-dmrm <your e-mail address> <FirstName> <LastName>

Not sure if you’re already a member of the list? Go to http://sla.lyris.net/read/login

Cathy DiPalma, Incoming Chair

As the SLA program year draws to a close, I’m trying to provide incoming Chair Cathy DiPalma with a good feel for the kinds of issues and activities that she’ll be involved in next year. To that end, I’ve asked her to submit a Chair-Elect column for this issue. And thank you Cathy, for your kind words! I’m looking forward to supporting you next year as I’ve been supported so well this year!

Hello fellow MRM members,

I have been caught up in a whirlwind of activities since accepting the position of Chair-Elect of the DCHE Materials Research and Manufacturing Section; in addition to being the Program Planner for the 2009 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. It should come as no surprise that in the SLA whirlwind I have met many energetic and dedicated people. A debt of gratitude is owed to those who have helped guide and encourage me: Marty Rhine, Betsy Aldridge, Ben Wagner, Margaret Bower, the current DCHE Chair Sue Cardinal, and the current MRM Chair Nora Stoecker. Nora patiently answered questions and offered helpful suggestions as I began this journey last January at the SLA Leadership Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. We thank Nora for the leadership role she assumed in the MRM section; her contribution has been invaluable.

Looking toward 2009, I encourage the MRM membership to contact me with your ideas, comments, suggestions, questions, and yes, complaints concerning our section. Although materials science covers a broad range of activities and touches on many fields, we are all connected by the business of information and knowledge management within this very diverse discipline. I look forward to working together to continue to develop a stronger and more unified group.

Anticipation remains high for the 2009 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. next June as we celebrate the SLA centennial. I am fortunate to have the DCHE Chair-elect, Luray Minkiewicz as well as Susan Makar as co-program planners. We have been working for several months to develop programs we think will enlighten as well as entertain. If time and finances permit, please consider attending this very special conference.

Cathy DiPalma
cathy.dipalma@saint-gobain.com
Saint-Gobain NorPro
3840 Fishcreek Road
Stow, Ohio 44224
330-677-5-3566

Warm regards,
Nora K. Stoecker, nstoecker@nksinfo.com

2009 Sparks Award

2008-11-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

2009 Marion E. Sparks Award for Professional Development

The Chemistry Division of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) is sponsoring a student/new member travel award to defray the costs of attending the 2009 SLA Annual Meeting June 14-17 in Washington, D.C. The award is intended to encourage the professional development of student members and new members of the Chemistry Division and encourage their participation in Chemistry Division activities.

TRAVEL AWARD:
$1,500 stipend to attend the 2009 SLA Annual Conference. The winner will also receive a certificate of achievement and will be introduced at the Chemistry Division Business Meeting & Breakfast.

ELIGIBILITY:
All student members of the Chemistry Division and all new members of the Chemistry Division (individuals who have joined since January 2008) are eligible. All applicants must have joined the Chemistry Division by February 23, 2009. See below for how to join.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Please submit the following:

A brief essay that: a) clearly articulates your objectives for professional development; and b) indicates what you hope to gain from attending the SLA Annual Meeting. Maximum length: 2 pages.
Resume
Names of two references.
Brief budget (expected expenses for registration, airfare, lodging, food and/or continuing education course).

Registration in a Chemistry Division or other Continuing Education (CE) course is recommended, but not required.

DEADLINE:
All applications must be received by March 9, 2009. The winner will be notified by March 27, 2009. Essays will be judged by the SLA Chemistry Division Awards Committee.

HISTORY:
The award is named to honor Marion E. Sparks, a chemistry librarian at the University of Illinois from 1913 until her death in 1929. Ms. Sparks contributed a great deal to the field of chemical information, her achievements include teaching courses on chemical information, and authoring and publishing what is argued to be the first book to formally address chemical literature and library instruction.

SUBMIT APPLICATION VIA EMAIL TO:
Cory Craig (cjcraig@ucdavis.edu)
University of California, Davis
Physical Sciences & Engineering Library
One Shields Avenue
Davis, California 95616-8676

Poster Web Conference, Session 2 (Oct 28-Nov 11)

2008-10-28T23:13:00.000-07:00

SLA All Sciences Poster Web Conference, Session 2

Dates: October 28 - November 11, 2008
Sponsors: Chemistry, Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics, Science & Technology, Engineering, and Biomedical & Life Sciences Divisions of the Special Libraries Association.

Location: http://forum.lib.lsu.edu/slachem/
Registration: free
Format: asynchronous web-based discussion board

List of presentations and accompanying forums:
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/sci/chem/vbulletin_real/schedule_Nov2008_unlinked.html

Please join the five science divisions of SLA for the second session of a two-part web conference featuring many of the posters originally presented at the SLA Annual Meeting, June 2008, at the All Sciences Poster Session and Reception in Seattle. Session 2 begins today, October 28, 2008 (CDT) and will last through the end of the day, November 11. Each poster presentation will have its own discussion forum moderated by at least one of the authors/presenters.

The presentations and discussion forums for all posters will be open and available the entire duration of the conference, thereby allowing conference attendees ample time to see the posters and take part in any and all sessions of interest. The conference site will be open 24 hours a day, and, as discussions are asynchronous, you will be able to participate at times most convenient to you.

Full participation in the event will require registration, but this is free and painless. For those of you who have already registered for a previous conference, your Username and Password are still valid. If, however, you have forgotten what they are, just click on the login button on the conference home page without filling in anything, and you'll be provided a link which will enable you to have your username emailed to you and to reset your password. When you fill in your registered email address in the box provided, you will be sent instructions on how to reset your password.

If you do not choose to register, you may still view all content and discussions, but you will not be able to post your own comments or questions. We do hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to discuss the various topics with the presenters, however.

If you have any questions at all about the conference, how to participate, or problems with registration, please email or call William Armstrong at (225) 578-2738 or notwwa@lsu.edu.

Chemistry Division Posters Online

2008-10-09T23:01:00.000-07:00

Most of the Chemistry Division posters from the SLA Conference are now online, in time for the Poster Web Session:

Catalyzing Community: Librarians in the Loop
Science Experiments: Reaching Out to Our Users
(Renovation – Architect) + Creativity = New Spaces that Work
The PAMS Reference Wiki: a New Way to Address Traditional Reference Needs
Low-Tech Works Too: Low-Tech Tools Help Science Students Collaborate in the Library
Virtual plans, real projects: Second Life helps the UCSC S&E library plan its future
Library 2.0: Collaborative – Interactive – Patron Focused
Using Instant Messaging at an Academic Library Reference Desk: Successes, Challenges, and Future Directions

Poster Web Conference, Session 1 (Oct 6-21)

2008-10-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

SLA All Sciences Poster Web Conference, Session 1

Dates: October 6 - 21, 2008
Sponsors: Chemistry, Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics, Science & Technology, Engineering, and Biology divisions of SLA

Location: http://forum.lib.lsu.edu/slachem/
Registration: free
Format: asynchronous web-based discussion board

List of presentations and accompanying forums:
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/sci/chem/vbulletin_real/schedule_Oct2008_linked.html

Please join the five science divisions of SLA for the first session of a two-part web conference featuring many of the posters originally presented at the SLA Annual Meeting, June 2008, at the All Sciences Poster Session and Reception in Seattle. Session 1 begins today, October 6, 2008 at 8:00a.m. (CDT) and will last through the end of the day, October 21. Session 2 runs from Oct. 27 - Nov. 11. Each poster presentation will have its own discussion forum moderated by at least one of the authors/presenters.

The presentations and discussion forums for all posters will be open and available the entire duration of the conference, thereby allowing conference attendees ample time to see the posters and take part in any and all sessions of interest. The conference site will be open 24 hours a day, and, as discussions are asynchronous, you will be able to participate at times most convenient to you.

Full participation in the event will require registration, but this is free and painless. For those of you who have already registered for a previous conference, your Username and Password are still valid. If, however, you have forgotten what they are, just click on the login button on the conference home page without filling in anything, and you'll be provided a link which will enable you to have your username emailed to you and to reset your password. When you fill in your registered email address in the box provided, you will be sent instructions on how to reset your password.

If you do not choose to register, you may still view all content and discussions, but you will not be able to post your own comments or questions. We do hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to discuss the various topics with the presenters, however.

If you have any questions at all about the conference, how to participate, or problems with registration, please email or call William Armstrong at (225) 578-2738 or notwwa@lsu.edu.

July - September 2008 Newsletter

2008-10-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

The July - September 2008 newsletter has been published. Some of the articles include:
- Professional Focus Interview with Bob Buchanan
- 2008 Sparks Award Winner Conference Reflections
- Various Conference Session Reports

MRM Business Meeting Minutes

2008-09-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

The minutes for the MRM Business Meeting (held online on May 23) are now available.

ACS Professional Development Award Winner: Carrie Newsom

2008-06-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Carrie Newsom, winner of the 2008 ACS Professional Development Award. She is the Chemistry, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Librarian at the University of Florida.

At the DCHE Annual Business Meeting/Breakfast in Seattle on Tuesday June 17th, ACS Publications will present Ms. Newsom with a $1500 check and award certificate to support her attendance at the 2008 SLA Annual Conference. She will also be interviewed for a future issue of ACS's librarians newsletter LiveWire.

DCHE thanks ACS Publications for their generous sponsorship of this award!

Sparks Award Winner: Margaret Smith

2008-06-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Margaret Smith, 2008 winner of the Sparks Award.

Margaret is the Physical Sciences Librarian at the New York University's Bobst Library. She is also enrolled in the Library and Information Science Masters Program at Syracuse University, with her degree expected in May 2010.

At the Chemistry Division's Annual Business Meeting & Breakfast on June 17th, Margaret will be presented with a $1500 check and award certificate to support her attendance at the 2008 SLA Annual Conference. Also look for her “Conference Impressions” article in the SLA Chemistry Division Newsletter after the conference.

Named in honor of chemistry librarian Marion E. Sparks (University of Illinois, 1913-1929), the Sparks Award is intended to encourage the professional development of student members and new members of the Chemistry Division and encourage their participation in Chemistry Division activities.

April - June 2008 Newsletter

2008-06-09T16:09:00.001-07:00

The April - June 2008 issue has been posted. Some highlights:

Note from Chair Elect Luray Minkiewicz
News from the MRM Section Chair Nora Stoecker
Upcoming SLA Annual Conference in Seattle and Chemistry Division events
Bob Buchanan's Beyond the Chemistry Web with a focus on nanomaterials
Professional Focus - An Interview with Mary Ellen Bates
2008 Marion E. Sparks Award Winner Margaret Smith
2008 ACS Professional Development Award Winner Carrie Newsom

If you're interested in contributing to the July-September issue, please contact Meghan Lafferty or Kevin Lindstrom. The copy deadline for the next issue is July 2, 2008.

Professional Partnerships Project Wiki

2008-04-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

The Professional Partnerships Project Wiki aims to provide our division's information professionals and library students with a unique learning opportunity that will engage them in projects that will add to the collective knowledge of our profession. Publishing and presentation opportunities will be listed and division members will be able to post details about the projects they are interested in collaborating on. Each project partner is expected to contribute equally to the finished product. Set up a watch under your SLA wiki account to get updates of edits made to the wiki page. Want to learn more? http://wiki.sla.org/display/SLACHEM/Professional+Partnerships+Project

DCHE Board Meeting (Leadership Summit)

2008-03-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

The minutes from the DCHE Board Meeting at the SLA Leadership Summit are now available.

January - March 2008 Newsletter

2008-03-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

The January - March 2008 issue has been posted. Some highlights:

Exchange Librarian to China
An interview with Judith Matthews - Head of the Biomedical & Physical Sciences Library at Michigan State University
The use of creative items in a science library
Job and career resources in "Beyond the Chemistry Web"

If you're interested in contributing to a future newsletter, please contact Meghan Lafferty (mlaffert@umn.edu) or Kevin Lindstrom (lindstro@interchange.ubc.ca).

Conference Schedule Posted

2008-02-19T21:19:00.000-08:00

A preliminary first draft DCHE programming for the 2008 conference is now online. We will continue to update the schedule as more information becomes available.

Note: this still a work-in-progress. Please let me know if you see things that need to be fixed or updated.

2008 Executive and Advisory Board

2008-01-22T14:34:00.000-08:00

The list DCHE Executive and Advisory Board members for 2008 is now available.

Sue Cardinal (Univ Rochester), Chair
Luray Minkiewicz (DuPont), Chair-Elect
A. Ben Wagner (SUNY Buffalo), Past-Chair

Nora Stoecker (NKS Info Svcs), MRM Section Chair
Cathy DiPalma (Saint-Gobain NorPro), MRM Section Chair-Elect
Betsy Aldridge (PACCAR Inc), MRM Section Past-Chair

Other than these transitions, most of the 2008 Board members are continuing from the previous year.

2008 Leadership Summit

2008-01-22T11:11:00.001-08:00

The 2008 SLA Leadership Summit will be in Louisville this weekend. Here's what the DCHE Board will be discussing:

The Agenda
Treasurer's Report
Travel Reimbursment - proposed changes to recommended practices
Revised procedures for Sparks & ACS Awards
Revised procedures for Occasional Awards
Preliminary program for Seattle

October-December 2007 Newsletter

2007-11-26T15:58:00.001-08:00

The October-December newsletter has been posted. Some highlights:

Elements of Information Literacy
Property Help: DIPPR
More reports from the 2007 conference, plus an interview with one of the conference planners
International resources/associations for materials and manufacturing

If you're interested in contributing to a future newsletter, please contact Meghan Lafferty (mlaffert@umn.edu)

2007 Web Conference Archive

2007-11-26T15:34:00.000-08:00

The discussions from the 2007 Web Conference, based on the SLA Poster Session "New Technologies in Instruction and Training," have been archived.

Call for Posters: 2008 in Seattle

2007-11-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

Call for Posters, 2008 Annual Conference (Seattle)
Theme: Collaborative Communities in Physical and Virtual Environments: the Science Library and Beyond

SPONSOR: Chemistry Division
LOCATION/DATE/TIME: SLA Annual Conference - Seattle 2008; Tuesday, June 17, 7:00pm – 9:00pm

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: March 1, 2008

DESCRIPTION:
The science library is changing rapidly; older technology in the form of print is causing the walls to close in on us, just as newer technology is opening new doors while at the same time placing new demands on us. Our patrons are developing different expectations of the library, information retrieval, and the spaces within which working interactions have traditionally been conducted. We must learn to adapt in new and innovative ways, often involving a complete rethinking of the concept, “library.”

How have you begun to adapt your space to meet the needs of today's science patrons? Have you experimented with collaborative work spaces, either physical or virtual? Have you established a presence in Facebook, My Space, Second Life or other social environments? What about innovations in virtual reference? Are you using institutional repositories in collaborative ways?

If you are involved at all in any of these activities or have explored ideas yet unnamed, please consider sharing the results of your efforts at the upcoming All-Sciences Poster Session at the Annual SLA Conference in Seattle , June 2008. This theme is being sponsored by the Chemistry Division.

The poster session will provide an informal and lively venue for sharing innovative ideas on a topic that is of importance to us all. Which of the new innovations have been working well for you? Which have not? Your colleagues will be most interested in learning from your efforts and your ideas, both successful and unsuccessful.

Guidelines for materials and layout of poster presentations are available on the SLA Chemistry Division website at http://www.sla.org/division/dche/poster.html.

SUMBISSION DETAILS:
Please submit your name, institution, email address, poster title, and description (250 words or less) by email to Bill Armstrong at notwwa@lsu.edu. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2008. Any SLA member is welcome to submit an abstract for consideration. In the event that a greater number of submissions are received than can be accommodated, members of the Chemistry Division will be given first preference. All applicants will be notified no later than April 1, 2008 as to whether or not their proposal has been accepted.

CONTACT:
William W. Armstrong (notwwa@lsu.edu)
Sciences Collection Development Coordinator
Chemistry Librarian
Liaison to Physics & Astronomy
Middleton Library
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge , LA 70803 USA
Ph. (225) 578-2738
Fax: (225) 578-9432

2008 Sparks Award Information

2007-11-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

2008 Marion E. Sparks Award for Professional Development

The Chemistry Division of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) is sponsoring a student/new member travel award to defray the costs of attending the 2008 SLA Annual Meeting June 15-18 in Seattle, WA. The award is intended to encourage the professional development of student members and new members of the Chemistry Division and encourage their participation in Chemistry Division activities.

TRAVEL AWARD:
$1,500 stipend to attend the 2008 SLA Annual Conference. The winner will also receive a certificate of achievement and will be introduced at the Chemistry Division Business Meeting & Breakfast.

ELIGIBILITY:
All student members of the Chemistry Division and all new members of the Chemistry Division (individuals who have joined since January 2007) are eligible. All applicants must have joined the Chemistry Division by March 3, 2008.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Please submit the following:

A brief essay that: a) clearly articulates your objectives for professional development; and b) indicates what you hope to gain from attending the SLA Annual Meeting. Maximum length: 2 pages.
Resume
Names of two references
Brief budget (expected expenses for registration, airfare, lodging, food and/or continuing education course).
Registration in a Chemistry Division or other Continuing Education (CE) course is recommended, but not required.

DEADLINE:
All applications must be received by March 17, 2008. The winner will be notified by April 10, 2008. Essays will be judged by a panel of SLA Chemistry Division members.

SUBMIT APPLICATION VIA EMAIL TO:
Cory Craig (cjcraig@ucdavis.edu)
University of California, Davis
Physical Sciences & Engineering Library
One Shields Avenue
Davis, California 95616-8676

HISTORY:
The award is named to honor Marion E. Sparks, a chemistry librarian at the University of Illinois from 1913 until her death in 1929. Ms. Sparks contributed a great deal to the field of chemical information, her achievements include teaching courses on chemical information, and authoring and publishing what is argued to be the first book to formally address chemical literature and library instruction.

WEB CONFERENCE: OCT 1-16

2007-09-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

Title: "New Technologies in Instruction and Training,"
Sponsors: Chemistry, Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics, and Sci-Tech Divisions of SLA
Location: http://forum.lib.lsu.edu/slachem/
Dates: October 1 - 16, 2007
Registration: free
Format: Asynchronous web-based discussion
List of Presentations:
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/sci/chem/vbulletin_real/schedule_Oct2007_unlinked.html
Presentations from the Poster Session: http://units.sla.org/division/dche/2007/poster.htm

Please join the Chemistry, Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics, and Sci-Tech divisions of SLA for a web conference entitled, "New Technologies in Instruction and Training," to be held online October 1 - 16, 2007, at the Chemistry Division's web conference site at http://forum.lib.lsu.edu/slachem. The conference will feature many of the posters originally presented at the SLA Annual Meeting, June 2007, in Denver. Each poster presentation will have its own discussion forum moderated by at least one of the authors/presenters.

The presentations and discussion forums for all posters will be open and available the entire duration of the conference, thereby allowing conference attendees ample time to see the posters and take part in any and all sessions of interest. The forums and links to the content for all presentations will be available to attendees and guests by 8:00 a.m. (CDT), October 1. The conference site will be open 24 hours a day, and, as discussions are asynchronous, you will be able to participate at times most convenient to you.

Full participation in the event will require registration, but this is free and painless. The site is currently open for registration. For those of you who have already registered for a previous conference, your ID and Password are still valid. If, however, you have forgotten what they are, just click on the login button on the conference home page without filling in anything, and you'll be provided a link which will enable you to have your username emailed to you and to reset your password. When you fill in your registered email address in the box provided, you will be sent instructions on how to reset your password.

If you do not choose to register, you may still view all content and discussions, but you will not be able to post. We do hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to discuss the various topics with the presenters, however.

If you have any questions at all about the conference, how to participate, or problems with registration, please email or call William Armstrong through the contact information provided below.

________________
William W. Armstrong
Sciences Collection Development Coordinator
Chemistry Librarian
Liaison to Physics & Astronomy
Middleton Library
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
Ph. (225) 578-2738
Fax: (225) 578-9432
Email: notwwa@lsu.edu

July-September 2007 Newsletter

2007-08-20T11:27:00.001-07:00

The July-September newsletter has been posted. Some highlights:

Reports from the 2007 Conference, including one from Sparks Award Winner Michael Peper.
Beyond the Chemistry Web
"What's New in Composites"

Board & Business Meeting Minutes Posted

2007-08-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Minutes have been posted for:

Information Competencies for Chemistry Undergraduates

2007-08-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

The final version of Information Competencies for Chemistry Undergraduates: the elements of information literacy is now available. A big thanks to the DCHE Ad Hoc Committee on Information Literacy for all their work in putting this together.

If you have questions or comments about this document, please contact Cory Craig (cjcraig@ucdavis.edu) and Linda Maddux (lbm@reed.edu).

Vendor Report: Bio-Rad

2007-08-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

The Bio-Rad presentation from the Chemistry Vendor Roundtable has been posted (warning: large file).

How to Find Spectroscopy/Crystallography

2007-07-14T00:27:00.000-07:00

Dana Roth's presentation (+ links) on locating crystallography information is now online. Elizabeth Brown's spectroscopy presentation is available on SlideShare. These were great presentations: informative, interesting, and chock full of good resources.

Vendor Reports: Thomson & CAS

2007-07-14T00:24:00.000-07:00

The Thomson & CAS presentations from the Chemistry Vendor Roundtable have been posted.

Collection Development in the Electronic Age (Presentations)

2007-06-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

Three presentations from the Collection Development in the Electronic Age have been posted:

Life Cycle of Digital Reference Resources: Asking the Right Questions - Dr. Lesley Farmer (Cal State Long Beach)

Science Electronic Resources at The University of Auckland Library: The impact on collection management and service delivery - Sonya L. Donoghue (Univ Auckland)

Journey into the Digital Age: Strategies for Developing and Managing Collections in a Federal Research Library - Susan Makar (NIST)

2008 Chair-Elect and Other Executive Board News

2007-06-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

At the Chemistry Division Business Meeting on June 5, Luray Minkiewicz (DuPont Experimental Station) was elected Chair-Elect 2008 and Division Chair for 2009. She is currently the division's archivist.

Remember, SLA has moved to calendar years so there was no changeover of the Executive Board during the conference. In January, Chair-Elect Sue Cardinal (Univ Rochester) will become DCHE Chair, and current Chair Ben Wagner (Univ Buffalo) will become Past-Chair/Nominating Committee Chair.

Margarete Bower (Univ Pittsburgh), who was appointed secretary earlier this year, was elected to remain as such for 2008-2009. Secretaries and treasurers are elected in alternate years, so Bob Buchanan (Auburn) will continue as treasurer through 2008.

Spectroscopy for the Unpolarized

2007-06-12T13:21:00.001-07:00

Elizabeth Brown's (Binghampton) excellent presentation on finding spectra and spectroscopic information is now online at SlideShare. Or you can check it out here:

Collection Development in the Electronic Age (Posted)

2007-06-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

The handout for the Collection Development in the Electronic Age program has been posted. We hope to get copies of the presentations and post those as well.

Conference Reports, Presentations, Handouts...

2007-06-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Did you write a report on one of the sessions? Give a presentation? Participate in the poster session? Then send your stuff!!

Please send in your reports, presentation slides, poster files, and handouts to tmvogel@ucsd.edu, and they'll get posted on the DCHE website.

Word and Powerpoint files are preferred. Any changes I make (including conversion to PDF) are only to reduce file size.

Executive & Advisory Board Reports

2007-05-31T15:00:00.000-07:00

Reports from the DCHE Executive and Advisory Board members are now online. See what we've been up to and what we have planned for the coming months.

Board & Business Meeting Agendas

2007-05-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

The agendas for the next week's DCHE Board and Business meetings have been posted.

Updated Conference Schedule

2007-05-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

The DCHE schedule has been updated!! I have merged the table and text view and linked the two so you can jump from a title in the graphical schedule to get a detailed description of that program. Also added: more INFO-EXPO (no-conflict) activities, and room numbers for all the events.

DCHE Open House - Details and RSVP

2007-05-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

This year's DCHE Open House will be held at the historic Byers Evans House Museum on Tuesday, June 5th from 8 pm until 11 pm. The house is within walking distance of the Firefighters Museum (4 blocks) where the All Science Open House will be held that night (7-9 pm).

RSVP: To get a headcount for the caterer, please send an e-mail directly to Bullitt Darlington [bullitt@we-buy-books.com] and let him know if you will be attending this fun event!

Food & drink: Appetizers, sandwiches, soft drinks, beer, wine
Entertainment: Tour the historic home, 1890's piano playing by some DCHE members (including you, if you like).
Directions: From conference center -- SOUTHEAST on 14TH ST toward WELTON ST; Turn RIGHT onto BANNOCK ST; Byers Evans House: 1310 Bannock St.
Fun: Come dressed in your best 1890's outfit: Victorian ball gowns, western wear, cowboy hats, fans, parasol's -- whatever you can create!

April-June 2007 Newsletter

2007-05-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

The April-June newsletter has been posted. Some highlights:

Messages from the Chair, Chair-Elect, and MRM Section Chair
Linda Shackle's latest ph (Property Help) article--this one on Phase Diagrams
2007 Sparks Award Winner Michael Peper's essay
Beyond the Chemistry Web, from Bob Buchanan
Reports from the 2007 SLA Leadership Summit and 233rd ACS National Meeting
Schedule for the 2007 Conference, plus the abstracts for the Poster Session

Poster Session - Presenters/Abstracts Announced

2007-04-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

The 20 posters (with presenters and abstracts) for the always-popular poster session have been announced.

New Technologies in Instruction and Training
co-sponsored by DCHE, DPAM and DST
Wednesday, June 6, 2007 (11:00AM - 12:30PM)

No-Host Dinner for Conference: June 2

2007-04-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

June 2, 6pm-8pm
Host: Bartow Culp, Purdue Univ.

Dinner this year will be at Rioja, easy walking distance of the conference center and hotels. The reservation is for 20, so please let Bartow (bculp@purdue.edu) know by May 25.

Conference Early Bird Registration Ends May 1

2007-04-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder - after May 1 the registration's $375 for members until May 25, then onsite registration for members is $425.

2007 Sparks Award Winner

2007-04-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Michael Peper of University of North Carolina, winner of the 2007 Sparks Award.

In honor of Marion E. Sparks, the Chemistry Division of SLA awards this every year to a promising student/new member of DCHE. Michael will receive $1,500 to attend the Denver Conference and will be honored at the Business Meeting & Breakfast. His essay will appear in the next newsletter.

2007 Conference Schedule Update

2007-04-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

I've done a major update of the conference schedule, in table form as well as text with descriptions. The two versions will be hyperlinked (item-to-item) in the next update, along with the list of poster presenters and the Sparks winner.

This is cobbled together from several sources, so please contact me if something's missing or incorrect.

Information Competencies for Chemistry Undergrads

2007-03-21T02:59:00.000-07:00

The Ad Hoc Committee on Information Literacy has released their draft guidelines:

Information Competencies for Chemistry Undergraduates: The Elements of Information Literacy

Please send comments or questions to Cory Craig and Linda Maddux, co-chairs.

Leadership Summit - DCHE Board Minutes

2007-03-21T02:54:00.000-07:00

Missed the Leadership Summit in Reno earlier this year? The minutes of the DCHE Board Meeting have been posted.

Denver Newcomer's Lunch on June 3 (RSVP)

2007-03-07T10:26:00.000-08:00

Are you are new member within about the past 18 months? Will Denver Annual Meeting in June be the first SLA conference you have ever attended?

If the answer to either question is yes, we'd like to invite you to a free lunch on Sunday, June 3 from 12 noon until about 1:30 p.m. A few key people will be available from each sponsoring division (Biomed-Life Sciences / Sci-Tech / Chem) to answer any questions you may have about their division, how to navigate the conference, and how to get the most out of your SLA membership. And you get to meet other new people to SLA!

The only catch is that due to long lead times required for our large annual conference, I need to have an RSVP from you by Wed, March 14. Please reserve a spot as soon as you know you are sure you are going to the June conference (even if you haven't yet registered).

Note this lunch is invitation only for new members and 1st time conference attendees. Everyone is welcome to our open house on Tuesday evening, the All Sciences Reception earlier on Tuesday (tickets required), and our Tuesday morning business meeting & breakfast (also a ticketed event). And of course there are many regular programs for all conference attendees. Please visit our divisional website for the preliminary program at http://units.sla.org/division/dche/2007/index.htm.

Our annual newcomers lunch is sponsored by three divisions: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Science-Technology, and your own Chemistry Division. Please contact me if you have any questions.

A. Ben Wagner (abwagner@buffalo.edu)
Chair, SLA Chemistry Division; Denver 2007 Co-planner
University at Buffalo
716-645-2947 x230

DCHE Sponsors, Preliminary Schedule for 2007

2007-03-06T16:07:00.000-08:00

The 2007 Conference pages have been updated!!

The 2007 conference homepage has been updated with the logos of our 7 conference sponsors: RSC Publishing, ACS Publications, Scopus (Elsevier), CAS, Paterra, East View Information Services, and Springer.
The preliminary schedule has also been posted. It includes DCHE activities as well as no-conflict events like the general sessions. A text version of the schedule with event descriptions will be posted next month.

Jan-Mar 2007 Newsletter

2007-02-27T02:11:00.000-08:00

The January-March 2007 issue of the DCHE Newsletter is now online.

Messages from the Chair, Chair-Elect, and MRM Section Chair
Bob Buchanan's 'Beyond the Chemistry Web'
Linda Shackle's 'Property Help'
and a sudoku puzzle courtesy of the Royal Society of Chemistry

Call for Posters - Denver 2007 (Last Call)

2007-02-20T11:43:00.000-08:00

Deadline for abstract submission: March 1, 2007

"New Technologies in Instruction and Training"
SLA Annual Conference - Denver 2007
Date/Time: Wednesday, June 6, 11:00a.m. – 12:30p.m.
Sponsors: Chemistry Division, Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics (PAM) Division, and the Science-Technology Division.

As the web has evolved, so, too, have programs that enhance our ability to communicate via the web. How have we, as librarians, been leveraging the creative potential inherent in these programs to communicate with and educate our patrons? Blogs, wikis, podcasts, webinars, RSS feeds, and personal response systems (clickers) are just some of the new technologies now in use throughout the web.

If you have been experimenting with any of these new technologies, or others yet unnamed, please consider sharing the results of your efforts at the upcoming poster session at SLA in Denver, June 2007. The poster session will provide an informal and lively venue for sharing innovative ideas on a topic that should interest all of us. Which new technologies have been working well for you? Which have not? How has your own use of these technologies evolved through time? Your colleagues will be most interested in learning from your efforts, both successful and unsuccessful.

Guidelines for materials and layout of poster presentations are available on the SLA Chemistry Division website.

Please submit your name, institution, fax, email address, poster title, and description (250 words or less) by email, fax, or surface mail to Bill Armstrong at the address given below. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2007. Any SLA Member is welcome to submit an abstract for consideration. In the event that a greater number of submissions are received than can be accommodated, members of the three sponsoring divisions will be given first preference. All applicants will be notified no later than April 1, 2007 as to whether or not their proposal has been accepted.

Bill Armstrong [notwwa@lsu.edu]
Sciences Collection Development Coordinator
Middleton Library
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA

Call for MRM Nominations

2007-02-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

The Materials Research and Manufacturing Section is requesting nominations for:

2007 Chair-Elect (term as Chair starts January 2008)
2007 Secretary
2008 Program Planner

We would like to hear your recommendations of MRM members to consider and, of course, self-nominating is encouraged, too! Nominating committee chair Marty Rhine will prepare the slate of candidates (one candidate for each position) to present as an entire slate for a vote at the MRM Business Meeting at the upcoming Denver annual conference, June of 2007 (a Sunday morning Dutch-treat breakfast).

Nominees should be able to attend the MRM business meeting and the CHEM board meetings at the Denver annual conference; the Chair-elect and 2008 Program Planner will also want to participate in the Seattle 2008 conference planning meetings in Denver.

Nominations should be received by March 15, 2007. Please submit nominations to Marty Rhine at this email address: mmrhine@yahoo.com.

--Betsy Aldridge, 2007 Chair, MRM Section, DCHE

Feb 2007 Information Outlook

2007-02-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

The newest issue of Information Outlook is available. The ebrary reader plugin is required for reading the articles.

Science Newcomer's Lunch in Denver (June 3)

2007-02-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

RSVP - required by March 9

Are you are new member within about the past 18 months? Will Denver Annual Meeting in June be the first SLA conference you have ever attended?

If the answer to either question is yes, we'd like to invite you to a free lunch on Sunday, June 3 from 12 noon until about 1:30 p.m. A few key people will be available from each sponsoring division (Biomed/Sci-Tech/Chem) to answer any questions you may have about their division, how to navigate the conference, and how to get the most out of your SLA membership. And you get to meet other new people to SLA!

The only catch is that due to long lead times required for our large annual conference, I need to have an RSVP from you by Friday, March 9. Please reserve a spot as soon as you know you are going to the June conference.

Note: this lunch is invitation only for new members and 1st time conference attendees. Everyone is welcome to our open house on Tuesday evening, the All Sciences Reception earlier on Tuesday and our Tuesday morning business meeting & breakfast (both ticketed events). And of course, there are many regular programs for all conference attendees. Please visit our divisional website for the preliminary program

Our annual newcomers lunch is sponsored by three divisions: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Science-Technology, and your own Chemistry Division. Please contact me if you have any questions.

A. Ben Wagner (abwagner@buffalo.edu)
University at Buffalo
The State University of New York

SLA 2007 Conference/Hotel Registration Open

2007-01-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

Online registration for the conference is now open. The print registration form will be in one of the next issues of Information Outlook.

Conference Hotel information, prices and maps are now available. You can book your room for the conference rate online or by phone.

MRM Advisory Board Members & Volunteers - 2007

2007-01-18T14:12:00.000-08:00

The Materials Research & Manufacturing Section page has been updated to reflect the new Advisory Board members and volunteers. The volunteers will work with their counterparts on the Division Advisory Board.

New Executive & Advisory Board Members - 2007

2007-01-05T10:43:00.000-08:00

Executive Board Changes:

Chair: Ben Wagner (State Univ of NY - Buffalo)
Chair-Elect: Sue Cardinal (Univ Rochester)
Past-Chair/Nominating Committee Chair: Ted Baldwin (Univ Cincinnati)
Secretary: Margarete Bower (Univ Pittsburgh)
Treasurer: Bob Buchanan (Auburn Univ)

Advisory Board Changes:

ACS Liaision: Bing Wang (Georgia Tech)
Bulletin Editor: Meghan Lafferty (Univ Minnesota)
NSDL Liaison: Hilary Davis (NC State)
2008 Program Planner: Rachel Ellison (Ecolab)
Sparks Award: Cory Craig (UC Davis)
Sponsorship: Mindy Pennington (Pfizer)

2007 Leadership Summit

2006-12-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

More information on the 2007 Leadership Summit, January 24-27 in Reno.

The Chemistry Division board meeting will be on Jan 27 from 8-10am.

Newsletter (Oct-Dec 2006) Now Online

2006-12-08T11:57:00.001-08:00

The October-December 2006 issue of the Newsletter is now online. Highlights include

Messages from the outgoing Chair and incoming Chair and Chair-elect
Report from ACS in San Francisco and October 2006 Web Conference
Beyond the Chemistry Web
Electronic STM resources from Japan
IUPAC-NIST Solubilities Database

2007 Conference - Call for Posters

2006-12-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

Co-sponsored by DCHE, DPAM and DST

The theme for 2007: New Technologies in Instruction and Training. The submission deadline is March 1, 2007 and any questions should be directed to Bill Armstrong at LSU.

This year, there will also be a 2nd poster session at SLA, this one sponsored by DBIO called Innovations & Best Practices in Biomedical & Life Sciences Libraries. Description and dates can be found on pg. 3 of the Fall 2006 issue of their newsletter.