ACS National Meeting San Francisco, 2006 Withdrawals with interest: creating a new chemical...

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Withdrawals with interest: creating a new chemical information

instruction depository

Grace Baysinger, Stanford UniversitySue Cardinal, University of Rochester

Bartow Culp, Purdue University

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

The first question:

Is chemical information instruction (CII) really needed?

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

“Yes”, according to the ACS: “Proficiency in chemical information retrieval should be acquired through formal instruction…Information [competence] is too complicated to leave to self-learning” -from ACS/CPT Guidelines

‘Ja’, according to the GDCh-CIC:

“Forderung der Chemie-Information als Unterrichts- und Forschungsbestandteil an den (deutschen) Hochschulen”*

-from “Aufgaben und Ziele der GDCh-Fachgruppe Chemie-Information”

*”[a goal is] promotion of chemical information as a component of teaching and research in German academic institutions”

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

The second question:

•Is it being taught?– Wel-l-l-l-l…maybe.

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Chemical information (CI) instruction in the USA –

present status: (Results of a national survey in 2005)

– 82% of the 640 ACS-accredited institutions now teach CI, either as a separate or a combined course

– Librarians teach with faculty in 33% of all institutions

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

A closer look

Only 37% of CI is taught in a separate course, so most is taught “in context”. (Probable case scenario: It’s not being taught)

87% of CI instructors keep current by teaching themselves?

(PCS: If it is being taught, it’s being done badly)

General conclusion: More can (and should) be done to increase the competent teaching of CI in American institutions of higher learning.

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

What is the level of CII in German universities?

• Very little formal instruction (10%?)*

• …but there are some exceptions; formal CII courses are being taught at: – Technical University of Hamburg (T. Hapke)– Münster (H. Seidel, et al.)– Konstanz (Dr. Johanna Dammeier)*(No comparable survey to USA results – anecdotal evidence

only)

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Reasons for German students’ low information competence

(Results of a German national study in 2001)

• A majority of students (79.6%) obtained their knowledge by “trial-and-error”

• A minority (15.7%) had help from the library staff.

• Only 10% obtained information literacy in regular courses.

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Assuming that CI should be taught, what resources do we have to teach it?

• Native intellect (insuffient)

• Textbooks (outdated and insufficient)

• Google, et al. (No, no, no!)

• The CCIIM

(What’s that last one???)

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

CCIIM, the Clearinghouse for Chemical Information Instruction Materials

• Started in 1985 • Joint sponsorship by ACS-CINF and

SLA Chemistry Division (1987)• Part of IU “ChemSources” Website

(1992 - present)

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

CCIIM – current status

• No remaining paper component• Currency is sporadic

– Few recent updates– Dead/broken links

• Unfriendly classification system• Questions: Does anyone know about

it? Does anyone use it?

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Two goals of the CIC-CINF group:

• To enhance [chemical] information literacy

• To increase the perception of its importance– and a specific task: to “assemble and

generate an inventory of existing educational materials in the field of chemical information”

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Working name for CCIIM’s replacement:

Chemical Information Resource Center for Instructors (CIRCI)

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

CIRCI: challenges/problems

• Audience• Content• Structure• Control/maintenance• Home• Visibility/Sponsorship

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Audience

– Instructors (college & h.s.)– Industry trainers– Librarians (academic & industry)– Students (beginning & continuing)

(And not just for chemists – Chemistry is “The Central Science”, you know!)

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Content

• Standards • Pedagogics

– Syllabuses– Tutorials & lectures– Sample problems & search examples– Bibliographies

• “How to find it/use it” guides– Databases– Fact sheets– Knowledge management tools

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Content, continued

• Calendar of events• Directories

– Liaisons & mentors– CI providers– Registered members of the site

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Structure

• Browsing & searching capabilities• Content metadata • Community space (Chat, blogs,”wiki-structures”,

etc.)

• Personalization features (“My CIRCI”?)

• Alerts, RSS feeds • All of the above?

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Control/maintenance

• Editorial board• IT and administrative support• User-driven

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Possible home(s)

• ACS• FIZ Chemie Berlin

– Model: www.chemistry.de

• NSDL (National Science Digital Library)– Model: DLESE, the Digital Library of Earth Science

Education – www.nsdl.org

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Won’t they?

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Visibility

L.O.S.G.I.N.

(Lots Of Sponsors Get It Noticed)

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Potential sponsors/backers

• In the USA:– ACS

• CINF• CHED• CPT

– SLA Chemistry Division– ALA Sci-Tech Division– American Society for Engineering

Education (ASEE)– CI suppliers

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Potential sponsors/backers

• In Germany:– GDCh-CIC – FIZ Chemie Berlin– Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Fachreferate in

Naturwissenschaft (AGFN)– Beilstein Institut– Deutsche Bibliothekverein (DBV)?– Others?

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

CIRCE (Chemical Information

Resource Center for Everyone)

• Doesn’t get old• Attractive and approachable• …and:

ACS National MeetingSan Francisco, 2006

Many thanks to:

• ACS CINF Chem Ed Committee• Bruce Slutsky• Carol Carr• Gary Wiggins• …and anyone else who wishes to help build this

valuable and usable resource