Chemistry Resources in the Electronic Age

Judith Bazler9781573563796, 157356379X

Here are two useful resources with identical formats and the same purpose: to provide a gateway to authoritative Web sites suitable for use in teaching and learning. The first chapter in each, “The Basics,” contains short descriptions of a variety of electronic resources and formats, terms, and some information on searching and on copyright. The bulk of each volume is a bibliography of Web resources grouped by topic within the discipline. Each record includes title, URL, grade level (ranging from elementary to postgraduate), a suggested search engine for hunting similar information, suggested keyword(s), and a detailed annotation. Among the 37 topic categories in the biology volume are “Animal Behavior,” “Diffusion,” “Heredity,” and “Viruses. The chemistry volume has 45 categories, including “Chemical Reactions,” “Equilibrium,” “Lab Techniques,” and “Periodic Table.These are very useful references for building discipline-, course-, or assignment-specific Web pages. Had the author left out the rather unnecessary suggested search-engine lines from entries, there would have been room for a number of additional sites. The chapters about biology and chemistry suppliers’ Web addresses and catalogs are handy directories. Each volume has a brief chapter with a collection of career-related links to associations, universities, and similar resources; the biology volume also offers 14 entries for museums and science centers. The detailed indexes are the best entry point for finding sites for topics that may be in several categories.These books will be useful for the public, but librarians can also use them to build excellent reference Web pages. They should be especially helpful in libraries serving students from the junior-high-school through lower-division undergraduate levels. RBBCopyright c American Library Association. All rights reservedReview”Bazler’s ambitious work creates order out of chaos by organizing and analyzing some of the best Internet chemistry resources….Recommended. Undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and professionals in chemistry.-Choice”Excellent reference tool for high school and college science collections, loaded with sites sure to be lasting.-MBR Internet Bookwatch/Library Bookwatch”Both of the books (Chemistry and Biology) reviewed in this series are tremendous resources becuase of the amount of information that they have in one place for lessons or projects on the Internet….For a classroom or library media center with limited computer access, these print resources will help teachers and students to find electronic resources.-Library Media Connection”This book is an excellent resource for science middle and high school teachers.-E-STREAMS”[A] very useful reference for building discipline-, course-, or assignment-specific Web pages….will be useful for the public, but librarians can also use to build excellent reference Web pages. Should be especially helpful in libraries serving students from the junior high-school through lower-division undergraduate levels.