Chemical Librarianship: An Opportunity To Be Involved
Patricia E. O'Neill
(B.S., chemistry, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA; M.S., library
and information science, University of Illinois) is currently the head of
the physical sciences library at Cornell University.
IN CHEMISTRY October/November 1991
(Reproduced with permission.)
Do you like to work with chemistry, but don't like working in the lab? Are
you good at finding information and find yourself helping others find what
they need? Perhaps you should investigate a nontraditional chemisty career:
chemical librarianship. . .
Chemistry librarians are involved in all aspects of chemical research except
they don't usually visit the laboratory regularly. However, chemistry librarians
do get to know a lot about ongoing research in their organization because
the chemists come to them to get the information they need to do their research.
And chemistry librarians work with all types of computer technology to help
researchers find information they need.
A Finder of Chemical Information
Chemistry librarians work directly with the researcher to sift through all
available information to find that one piece of information that the researcher
needs. Librarians who work in industry and specialize in information retrieval
are called information scientists. Information brokers own
businesses specializing in information retrieval.
As information finders, librarians use the various tools publishers develop
to locate the information a person needs. The tools can be simple or complex
easy to use or complicated, printed, in a microformat, or computerized.
Librarians manipulate the tools to get to the information needed.
When someone asks for help, the librarian may use the sources available
and get the information they need or may direct them to the appropriate
tool, show them how to use it, and leave them to do their own library research.
The manner in which chemical librarians handle a question will depend on
the question and the organization for which they work.
Information scientists or brokers use all the tools available to locate
the information of interest, perhaps to analyze the information, and then
to get it to the user. Academic librarians do not usually have the
luxury of enough time to provide that same type of service to every one
who comes in the door.
Computers, Computers Everywbere
One thing all chemical librarians have in common is the need to work with
computers. Producers and vendors make data bases available because they
can help the researcher find what is needed. Chemical librarians learn how
to use many computerized tools effectively and cost efficiently. Computer-ized
data bases used by chemical librarians include Chemical Abstracts, Beilstein,
and patent files.
Information is also published in other electronic formats, including CD
ROM, in-house computer files, and electronic bulletin boards. Each information
tool has its own quirks and problems. In addition to learning how each data
base must be manipulated, most information specialists must also learn at
least two different search systems, as no one vendor can provide access
to all the necessary tools. Chemistry information specialists have the added
challenge of searching by using chemical structures. Chem- istry librarians
do not need to be experts in either chemical nomenclature or structure,
just experts in translating the knowledge of a chemist into the correct
query needed to retrieve information.
Libraries--Please Speak Up
Although data bases provide many leads and answers to researcher's questions,
usually the researcher will still want to see the original articles. This
is the point at which the library and library staff become essential, and
it is also when the job of the librarian diverges from that of the information
scientist or broker.
The librarian, in addition to locating information, will also be involved
in directing how the library functions and grows. Library administrators
are involved in all the tasks that any administration official faces. They
deal with the budget, spending what has been allocated and determining what
is really needed in the future.
One of the day-to-day operations that is unique to libraries is the circulation
of library materials to people for specified periods of time. Although this
appears to be a routine job, it can be very complex.
First, policies must be set. The needs of all users must be aligned with
the needs of a larger organization (often a library system). The policies
must be communicated clearly to both staff and users. Supervision of circulation
staff might be part of any librarian's job. Usually, the head of a library
must resolve user complaints about library policies, including overdue fines.
I've Never Met a Book I Didn't Like
Before the materials and information in the library can be circulated, they
must be purchased. Usually, librarians are responsible for determining what
materials should reside in the library. Purchasing decisions are difficult.
In today's economy, library acquisitions budgets are not large enough to
purchase everything that is needed. Librarians speak with researchers, monitor
brochures and fliers describing research interests, and remember what reference
questions are being asked. Librarians also track what is being published
and what fields are new and important. All this information goes into the
decision-making process and gets filtered through the budget. Then the orders
can be placed. In most libraries, a separate department handles the actual
purchase and cataloging of materials.
Be Flexible
Librarians must remain flexible. Library science and libraries are constantly
changing. A librarian might spend time one year focusing on automating the
circulation system, the next streamlining journal check-in. Because journal
prices are increasing, most science librarians are currently dealing with
cancellation projects. These projects take a lot of effort because it is
difficult to decide what information researchers can do without.
Do It All?
Collection development, reference work, and administration are the major
components of any librarian's job. The amount of time spent on each aspect
will vary depending on the size of the library and on the level of the librarian's
authority. An entry-level reference position in industry will focus on the
reference and collection development. If you take an even mixture of the
three components and add user training and education, you have a good picture
of what the head of a science library does in an academic setting.
Educating The Chemist
In an academic library setting, librarians have the option of being involved
with the educational goals of the university. The amount of emphasis on
library education varies depending both on the librarian's interests and
on the interests of the academic community. Many chemistry departments are
interested in chemical information literacy. Chemical information can be
taught at all levels. At Emory University in Atlanta,, the chemistry depart-
ment is actively interested in educating the graduate students on how the
library fits into the research process. All incoming graduate students are
required to take the course "Introduction to Library Research."
The course deals not only with the how to aspects of the library but also
gives the graduate students some idea of the publication research process
and how to integrate library research into their laboratory work and writing.
In addition to formal courses, librarians also conduct work shops on computerized
searching and provide how-to lectures.
Teaching, whether it be a formal course or a workshop, is difficult. The
reward of teaching people how to use information and information tools is
having people in the library, which ultimately creates more work for the
librarian and the library staff. Teaching also brings library services to
the attention of the faculty in a positive manner. As an academic chemistry
librarian, you will have the opportunity to educate students and researchers
at all levels.
Involvement and Opportunities
Working in the field of scientific librarianship will certainly keep you
involved but can you find a job? Both corporate and academic libraries have
difficulty finding qualified candidates. Managers of corporate information
centers are so concemed that they help people leaving their own company
to find jobs in other companies. Discussions within the ACS
Division of Chemical Information have led to formal workshops
on career opportunities and involvement by division members with the Younger
Chemists Committee road shows.
Qualifications needed to get a job in scientific information include a solid
background (usually a B.S. degree) in chemistry or a related field. Many
employers require a Master's degree in library or information science. Some
positions require more advanced degrees.
But Everyone Knows Librarians Can't Make Any Money!
This statement is not true of librarians with a technical background. Librarians
with a B.S. degree in chemistry are valuable because:
1. there are not enough of them and
2. they speak two languages--chemistry and information.
According to the 1991 ACS salary survey, the median salary of industry chemists
specializing in chemical information services is higher than the median
of nonacademic chemists (See table). So, if you find yourself ready to look
for a chemistry career outside the laboratory, check out chemical librarianship.
Salary Information from the 1990 Salaries and "Salary Survey,"
Chemical & Engineering News,July 9, 1990,
AMERICAN CHEMICAL
SOCIETY MEDIAN SALARIES B.S. M.S. PH.D.
All nonacademic chemists $39,600 $46,000 $60,100
Industrial chemists specializing
in chemical information services $44,066 $49,354 $62,961
Industrial chemists specializing $44,467 $49,013 $55,772
in computers
*According to the 1991 Salary Survey, median salaries increased 4.4% from
1990 to 1991 (Chemical & Engineering News, July 15, 1991).