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Department Blog

Physical Sciences & Engineering Library

PSE Library moving into Shields by 2011

October 21st, 2009 by Karen Andrews

This is an important update on the future of the UC Davis Physical Sciences & Engineering Library.

To meet its budget reduction goals, the UCD Library will downsize from 4 to 3 locations. By July 1, 2011, the Physical Sciences & Engineering Library collections, staff, and services will be integrated into the Shields Library, primarily on the 3rd floor. You  may view the full UC Davis Office of Research, Management and Planning recommendations for the General Library.

To make space for the move, much of the biological and agricultural sciences collection, currently on 3rd floor of Shields Library, will be relocated and integrated into the Carlson Health Sciences Library building to form a health, life sciences, and agriculture collection. This  redistribution of science collections will optimize the amount of unique  print library materials that can be kept on campus.

We are developing criteria for what will stay on campus and what will go to the NRLF (Northern Regional Library Facility, the UC Libraries storage building in Richmond.) NRLF staff provide rapid web delivery of journal articles, while books and journal volumes are delivered to campus in 2 days.  In the fall, we will share the criteria for storing items and seek broad input.

This outcome is a difficult one for all of us, and we will work with you to continue providing the best possible configuration of collections and services that you have come to expect from the PSE Library staff.

Comments may be sent to Karen Andrews at: klandrews@ucdavis.edu.  I welcome your comments.

SciFinder On The Web

May 13th, 2009 by Cory Craig

The SciFinder Scholar (chemistry database) is now available via 2 interfaces (as of Fall 2008)

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1)  NEW: Web version (must register before use, can be used from off-campus via the VPN).

2)  Client version (software must be installed, cannot be used from off-campus)

Client version has been available at UC Davis since the late 1990s; it will continue to be available.


How To Register for SciFinder WEB:

Use of SciFinder is restricted to UC faculty, students and staff for academic research.

1) Register for SciFinder on the Web A “ucdavis.edu” email account is required.  You will receive an email confirmation, follow the instructions in the email to complete your one-time registration.

2) Once you have registered, search SciFinder Web

3) Java Runtime Environment (JRE) Version 6.2 or higher is required to use the structure drawing editor. Get both the Windows and Mac versions here. The structure editor on the web version is slow to load the first time.

Email Alerts:  Use the new “Keep Me Posted” feature to set up email alerts.

Use the library VPN to access SciFinder Web from home. After logging on to VPN:  Click on:  UC Davis General Library –> Databases A-Z –> Enter SciFinder –> Click on SciFinder Scholar [WEB VERSION]

For more Info – see the Chemistry Subject Guide

Does your spell-checker know chemistry?

April 30th, 2009 by Cory Craig

A free Chemistry Dictionary for word processors is available at:  http://www.chemistry-blog.com/dictionary
Installation instructions come with the downloadable file. The dictionary was developed by UNC-CH graduate student Adam Azman, with assistance from ChemSpider.com. The dictionary contains over 100,000 chemical names and chemical terms.

*From: Open Access Chemical Dictionary Available – C&EN Digital Briefs, 2/2/2009