Browsing Tag

chemistry

Database Highlights & Trials, News & Events, Science

Database Trial: JoVE Science Education: Chemistry

During the month of October, the UST Libraries will be trialing the innovative video database JoVE Science Education: Chemistry. JoVE Science Education: Chemistry is a database dedicated to providing simple, easy to understand videos that demonstrate key concepts and laboratory techniques. This trial includes access to the following six collections:

Please send your comments on this resource to Karen Brunner (brun4952@stthomas.edu).

October 2, 2018 by Karen Brunner

Database Highlights & Trials, Science

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications

Hey UST Chemists – I have some good news and bad news for you: pubslogo-big

The bad news is that we noticed today that our subscriptions to ACS Web Editions and its sister resource: ACS Legacy Archives, are currently experiencing technical difficulties. Logging in still works, but searches currently yield no results. As much as I would like to say that this is good news (is the ACS trying to tell us that nothing has been published on any topic yet, so the door is wide open?), clearly there is a problem.

The good news is that there is a work-around: you can also search for (and access!) ACS content via our SciFinder database.

To do so, simply log into SciFinder (if you don’t have an account, UST students, faculty, and staff ONLY can register for one here).

Search for your topic in the “reference search” area. When you find an article in an ACS publication, click on the hyperlink to “View Link to Other Sources.”
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On the next screen, click on the “Get It @ UST Libraries” hyperlink.

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That will bring you straight to the article in ACS Web Editions, as usual.

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We have been told that the issue is being worked on and should be resolved soon. I will be sure to update this page as soon as I hear an all-clear. In the meantime, thank you for your patience and please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

June 9, 2015 by

Database Highlights & Trials, Libraries, News & Events, Science

Getting Set Up in SciFinder

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Hey Chemistry Researchers!

Have you been procrastinating about getting your SciFinder account set up? Maybe the initial log-in procedure was a bit intimidating, or you just plain weren’t sure how to do it?

Well, be confused no more!

To make sure we’re all getting our research taken care of so we can relax and take full advantage of Mole Day celebrations, I just made a quick tutorial video on setting up your account. Learn how to register for an account*, and then access SciFinder via the UST Libraries website for all your amazing Chemistry needs. (You’re also more than welcome to contact me if you need or want any help figuring out how best to go about getting to the best references for your serach).

Have a great weekend!

*Note: SciFinder is for the exclusive use of UST faculty, staff and students. An UST email address must be used during registration to authenticate your account.

October 10, 2014 by

Archbishop Ireland Library, Kudos, News & Events, Science, Special Collections and Archives

Chemistry Department & Libraries Work Together to Preserve Books

We all know that UST Libraries have a wonderful collection of rare and archival materials. Sometimes, however, taking care of so many old books can be a challenge, especially when they are discovered to be growing things they’re not supposed to. Who knew that we had a real-world chemistry problem sitting right here on campus!?

Books with Spew When Mr Curt Le May, Director of the Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library, approached the Chemistry department for help in identifying white film forming on the surface of leather bound 300-year-old books, Meghan Talbot, chemistry major and a research student under Dr. Marites Guino-o, was glad to help.

Meghan Talbot

Meghan collected the white film/powder by using a spatula and carefully scraping off the residue found on the surface of the leather bound book, “Histoire des variations des églises protestantes.” Through a combination of three characterization techniques (FTIR, Mass and NMR spectroscopy), she deduced that the white film/powder is a spew (or speu). A spew is a combination of carboxylic acids that originated from the leather itself, and leather dressing used to increase the leather’s preservation and flexibility.

“Being able to work on a project such as this was a great honor. It was a very interesting experience to be able to work with a book that was evidence of a time in which I had learned about in previous history classes. I am glad that the work that I was able to do has the ability to help the library preserve books, such as this one, as they are such a crucial connection to our past.” ~Meghan Talbot

We at the library are grateful to Meghan for helping us find out what the white substance was, so we could find a way to safely remove it and keep these books for future Tommies. Cooperation across the campus can certainly be a great thing!

September 16, 2013 by

Database Highlights & Trials

Core Curriculum – Natural Science and Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning

Let’s say you barely made it through high school biology and now you’re faced with college biology. Well, have no fear! We got sources that’ll explain science things for non-science majors.

These sources cover ALL sciences and will most likely be useful for any of he natural science or mathematical or quantitative reasoning classes you may have:

Science Reference Center will work for all things science (articles, encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc).
JoVE offers videos of biological, medical, chemical and physical research. So just in case you’re assigned to describe a push-pull method for collecting plant volatiles, JoVE’s got that video.
VAST offers documentary videos, as does Films on Demand. Thousands of videos on biology, earth science, environmental science and health and medicine.

But for specific classes I offer…

BIOL 101 General Biology

BIOL 102 Conservation Biology (also good for GEOL 1xx classes)

BIOL 106 Women, Medicine & Biology

CHEM 100, 101, 111, 112, 115

Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry includes data for each compound including name, structural formula, formula weight, density, refractive index, melting point, boiling point, flash point, dielectric constant, dipole moment, solubility in water and relevant organic solvents, thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity.
SciFinder SciFinder provides easy access to information in Chemical Abstracts Services resources: journal citations and abstracts, substance data, chemical reactions, regulatory data, chemical suppliers, and biomedical literature. Sign up for an individual account.

Now I realize there are probably many, many other classes that fulfill the natural science, math and quantitative reasoning requirement. I’ve missed more than a couple of them I am sure. If you are in a class that meets the core requirement and don’t see anything here that would help you, see if you can find related resources on our SCIENCE pages. If those don’t work, check out the research guides in the various disciplines.

September 14, 2012 by