• Reference Books: Use these sources at the beginning of your research to get an overview of a topic or to identify synonyms, related terms, or chemical nomenclature that will apply to your topic. Later, return to these sources to clarify concepts or define new vocabulary. These sources also include bibliographical references that may prove helpful. All of these sources are located in the Reference Collection, Room 170, Level 1.
• Catalog: This section includes information about Library of Congress Subject Headings and the Library of Congress Classification System to make your use of Muse easier and more productive. There are also links to the catalog itself and to help screens on searching Muse.
• Indexes/Electronic Databases: Use indexes and databases to locate periodical articles on your topic. If you need periodical literature not covered in the time frame of the database, there are also print indexes on the lower level of the library. Carleton does not own every title indexed in the databases. Check MUSE (the library's catalog) to see if we own the journal title, not journal article, you are looking for. If we don't own the journal, take advantage of our Interlibrary Loan Services.
• Web Links: Links to selected major sites in chemistry are provided here.

Reference Books

• Scirf Q121 .M3 1992 vol. 1-20
  McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science And Technology. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1992.
  Entries with bibliographies on all aspects of science, technology and chemistry.
• Sci Ref RS 51 .M4 1996
  Merck Index. Whitehouse Station, N.J.: Merck and Co., 1996.
  An invaluable resource if you need to know the lethal dosage of a compound, structure, formula etc.
• Scirf QD65 .H3 2000/01
  CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. New York: CRC Press, 2000.
  Often referred to as the "bible" of chemists, this handbook has it all. Packed with all sorts of tables, values, etc. it is a gold mine of data. Remember, some information is not carried over into the next editions; hence, if you do not find what you need, try another edition.
• SciRf QD 246.D5 1996 vol.1-9
  Dictionary of Organic Compounds. New York: Chapman and Hall, 1996.
  A very important source for the organic chemist. This set has many access points including, registry number, name and formula. Provides structure information, boiling points, and bibliographic references to the original synthesis papers regarding that compound.

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Catalog

The Gould Library has rich collections of books, journals, government documents, and other resources. You may access them via Bridge, the online catalog (web version or telnet version). You may search Bridge by title, author, subject, or word.

Relevant Library of Congress Call Numbers

This is only a partial list of the call numbers pertaining to Chemistry. For a complete listing, go to the Library of Congress Classification Outline, provided by the Cataloging Policy and Support Office of the Library of Congress.

• QD 7 Chemistry-Nomenclature
• QD 11-28 Chemistry-History
• QD 40-45 Chemistry- Study & Teaching
• QD 45 Chemistry- Laboratory Manuals
• QD 71-142 Chemistry, Analytical
• QD 81-95 Chemistry, Analytical- Qualitative
• QD 101-142 Chemistry, Analytical-Quantitative
• QD 133 Chemistry, Metallurgic
• QD 151-199 Chemistry, Inorganic
• QD 248-449 Chemistry, Organic
• QD 261 Chemistry, Organic- Laboratory Manuals
• QD 262 Chemistry, Organic- Synthesis
• QD 291 Chemistry, Organic- Nomenclature
• QD 453-651 Chemistry, Physical and Theoretical
• QD 467 Chemistry- Classification
• QD 476 Chemistry, Physical Organic
• RA 1057 Chemistry, Forensic
• RB 40 Chemistry, Clinical
• RS 402-431 Chemistry, Pharmaceutical

Subject Headings

Library of Congress Subject Headings are the words and phrases that you will use to do a subject search in Muse (as opposed to a word search, where you may use any words you like). Although Chemistry is a Library of Congress Subject Heading, you will probably get better results if you are more specific. If you are interested in a particular branch of chemistry, i.e. organometallics, use the subject heading Organometallic chemistry and the many subdivisions that follow that heading. Be careful in your word choices--some words and phrases that may seem very natural to you will not be Library of Congress Subject Headings.

It is often helpful to do a word search on your topic, and, once you find an appropriate source, examine the subject headings. You may then conduct a subject search by clicking on the linked subject heading in Muse. If you cannot find a source using a word search, consult the print Library of Congress Subject Headings (on the Ready Reference shelves in the Reference Area Level 4) to find the proper subject heading.

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Indexes

• SciFinder Scholar
  This is it! THE database for chemistry. Indexes all of the chemical literature back to 1947. Powerful search features such as formula, structure, registry, patent number, substance, subject, and author are easily navigable. Has built in full text links to the American Chemical Society journals. Fully compatible with EndNote. One important feature to note is that this product software MUST be loaded on to your hard drive. This is not a web based service. All computers in the chemistry department have this software program loaded. Only 2 simultaneous users are allowed.
• Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
  Actually a collection of scientific databases which number about 50. There is a built in local holdings link (to see if we subscribe to the periodical) and a slick built-in interlibrary loan form in the event we do not own that particular title.The database of particular interest to chemists is the Environmental Sciences one.
• Web of Science (formerly Science Citation Index)
  Indexes a wide array of international scientific literature from 1969 to present. The most powerful feature of this database is that it allows you to see who has "cited" or "quoted" a particular paper, thereby getting the most recent literature that is germane to that topic.
• Current Contents
  Indexes thousands of scientific periodicals right up to the current week. An easy and effective way to scan the tables of contents to your favorite chemistry journals.
• JSTOR
  A collection of full text journals, but now available in the area of General Science. Journal coverage goes back to the 18th century and all articles found are full text.There are some classic papers in this collection including the Benjamin Franklin paper on electricity.

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Web Links

• http://hazard.com/msds/
  Material Safety Data Sheets (Vermont SIRI database)
  Find out about the safety and handling of chemicals.
• http://www.sigma.sial.com/aldrich
  Aldrich Chemical Company On-Line Catalog
  Search by name, formula, or CAS number for properties, structure, MSDS, and more.
• http://dmoz.org/Science/Chemistry/
  Open Directory Project--Chemistry
  As the web grows, automated search engines and directories with small editorial staffs will be unable to cope with the volume of sites. The Open Directory Project's goal is to produce the most comprehensive directory of the web, by relying on a vast army of volunteer editors.
• http://www.liv.ac.uk/Chemistry/Links/links.html
  World-Wide Web Virtual Library of Chemistry
  Links for Chemists is an index of over 8,225 chemistry resources on the web. This site is the copyright of The University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry we hope you will abide by our fair-use guidelines whilst using this index.

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