Use of Library Information
Systems by ChE Undergrads
By
Jeanne Davidson
David Hackleman
OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
IT in CHE Education
• Simulations
• Modeling software
• Other specialized
software
• Library information
systems
–
–
–
–
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Library catalogs
Article Databases
Web searching
Reference Sources
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
Library Information Systems
• Provide access to:
– Books, Articles, Patents, Technical
Reports, Dissertations, Web sites
• Via searches for:
– Keywords, authors, chemical
structures, chemical names, cited
works
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
Our Experience
• OSU Libraries
– 1.4 million volumes; 14K journals; 500K
maps and government documents; 140+
databases
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
For Chemical Engineers
• SciFinder Scholar
•
•
•
•
•
• Compendex
•
•
•
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Chemical Abstracts, Registry
& Reactions
23 million Articles,
dissertations, patents
23 million substances
46 million sequences
8 million reactions
Engineering Index
7.5 million articles,
conference papers
5000 engineering journals
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
What are students using?
? Library resources/databases
? Web sites
? Other people
? Textbooks
? Spontaneous generation
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
Our Test
• Pretested a senior lab class
– Finding
•
•
•
•
•
•
Books
Background info
Articles using databases
Chemical facts
Patents
Useful web sites
– Physically locating materials
– Using key reference sources
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
Survey Results
Figure 1: Student Assessment of Fluency
1 = No experience; 5 = Expert
5
4
3
Average
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ID
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1
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
Student Use of Key Resources
Name of Resource
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Student Awareness
Kirk Othmer Encyclopedia of
Chemical Technology
Never Used
Beilstein and/or Gmelin
Never Used
CASSI (Chemical Abstracts
Serial Source Index)
Never Used
Perry’s Handbook of Chemical
Engineering
95% had used
CRC Handbook of Chemistry &
Physics
45% had used
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
Conclusion
• Even “fluent” students could not name
the article database they used.
• Students predominantly use the web
only.
• Following library instruction, students
commented on the usefulness and
relevance of library systems.
– “…I wish I’d had this last quarter.”
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
Problem Statement
• Small sample at one institution
• This sample of CHE students are
missing an important resource for
success
• Can we improve these results for
our students?
• Are our results common to other
institutions?
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
Request for Participation
http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/
staff/davidsoj/survey
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department
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OSU Libraries & Chemical Engineering Department