New Publication

"Bibliometric Analysis and Comparison of Two STEM LIS Journals: Science & Technology Libraries and Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship (2005–2014)" has been published on Taylor & Francis Online. It is available at:http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0194262X.2016.1171191.

Random Thoughts for April

It is near the end of April as we approach the end of the spring semester.  My major complaint is that the situation is same old same old.  We still get so few walk up reference transactions, yet I read on librarian listservs that other libraries report many questions even in the evening hours.  My theory is that NJIT students are “tech savvy” and can navigate through online databases with minimal assistance.  I am more upset that students majoring in chemistry and related disciplines rarely ask for more me.  Years ago I had regular consultations with graduate students and faculty.

This semester I taught a share of the research roadmaps which are given to freshman taking a required humanities course.  As in previous semesters most students don’t hand in their assignments on time, while some don’t even bother.  What can we do?

20 months until I retire at the end of 2017.

Satellite Meeting of STELLA Librarians Unconference at NYU Bobst Library on May 20

Some time ago the 2016 STELLA Unconference was announced for May 20-21 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. STELLA is an acronym for Science, Technology, and Engineering Library Leaders in Action.

The METRO Science and Medical Librarians SIG is holding a satellite event at the NYU Bobst Library (Room 619) On Friday May 20 from 12:15 PM – 5:00 PM.  Since the METRO offices are closed on Fridays, I had to find another location.  I thank Kara Whatley of NYU Libraries for allowing METRO to use their facility for this event.

Here is the schedule:

12:15-1:15pm

Planning Session

1:15-2:30pm

Breakout Session 1

2:30-2:45pm

Break

2:45-4:00pm

Breakout Session 2

4:00-5:00pm

60 minute wrap-up and report back from sessions

We will be communicating with the people in North Carolina through Skype.

Please register at  http://metro.org/events/745/

METRO Science Librarians SIG Meeting Wednesday April 27

The next METRO Science and Medical Librarians SIG meeting will be:

Wednesday April 27 1:30 PM at METRO Headquarters

57 East 11th Street - 4th Floor

It will be a research forum with the following speakers:

•       Esther Jackson – New York Botanical Garden - Survey of institutions that offer plant information services to the public.

•       Clara Tran and Jennifer Lyon – Stony Brook University - Faculty Use of Author Identifiers and Researcher Networking Tools

•       Danielle Aloia and Robin Naughton -New York Academy of Medicine - Share #GreyLit: Using Social Media to Communicate Grey Literature. 

•       John Carey and Ajatshatru Pathak – Reference Mode Preferences: A Survey of Students at Hunter College and Queensborough Community College.

•       Robin Wright (Lehman College) and Latrina Keith  (Albert Einstein  College of Medicine) - Wearable Technology: If the Tech Fits, Wear It

 An Outreach Project funded by an NN/LM MAR grant to teach medication safety to K-2 students Shelly Warwick, Touro College

Register at http://metro.org/events/735/

Random Thoughts for March

It was very disappointing early this week when only 3 physic graduate students came to a seminar that I offered about using the resources of the library.  The professor who coordinated the meeting even ordered pizza and soft drinks, but nobody seemed to be interested.  My guess is that this was not the best time of the semester for such training.  I will try to do it early in the Fall semester when students are more receptive to learning new skills.

Yesterday a representative from Chemical Abstracts came to give demonstrations of Scifinder in the lobby of Tiernan Hall home of the Chemistry and Chemical Engineering departments.  A fair number of students and faculty passed by and were able to see a search question answered.  An adjunct member of the chemical engineering department stopped by and spoke to me about giving a lecture to her plant design class.  The assignment is to design a cyclohexane production plant from benzene hydrogenation.  I spent some time today preparing a lecture for next Monday.

Best news of the month. - Our paper was accepted in Science and Technology Libraries!

Bibliometric Analysis and Comparison of Two STEM LIS Journals: Science & Technology Libraries and Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship (2005-2014)

Bruce Slutsky New Jersey Institute of Technology Robert Van Houten Library Newark, NJ 07102 bruce.slutsky@njit.edu

Selenay Aytac Long Island University 720 Northern Blvd Brookville, NY 11548 selenay.aytac@liu.edu

We even got kudos from Tony Stankus, the editor.

Remembering Leon Goodman Professor of Chemistry at the University of Rhode Island

I was reading a recent issue of the Chemical & Engineering News and found out that Leon Goodman, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Rhode Island (URI) passed away last September at age 94.  When I was a graduate student of chemistry at URI (1972-74), he was Chair of the Department.  He was the second person I met there when I visited in December 1971 just before enrolling.  I fondly remember how he made me comfortable when I first arrived.  It was a big adjustment for me as I came from a big city to rural southern Rhode Island.  His door was always open to students and faculty who needed to talk to him.  He invited students and faculty to his home to socialize.

I kept in touch with him for several years after I graduated.  I last saw him in September 1978 when I told him I was going to pursue a career in chemical information.

He was blessed with a very long life.  My belated condolences to his family and friends.

Detailed obituary

Random Thoughts For February

I haven’t written in this blog for over a month now so I thought it is time for some random comments.

Last night I gave a class to some mechanical engineering students taking a class in physical metallurgy.  I only talked for about 15 minutes as I pointed out some resources such as ASTM Standards, MatWeb, the ASM handbook and others.  The plan was for me to stay in the class for about an hour to be available to answer questions.  I observe that the students were searching Google and the Wikipedia for information.  A few were searching Scopus which I did discuss.  Again, I am being cynical, but I keep wondering if lecturing to students really does any good.

A chemistry professor is interviewing candidates for a faculty position.  He is showing the candidates the library and has brought them to meet with me very briefly.  A few days ago one candidate was wearing jeans.  You would think that someone with a doctorate would be smart enough to wear a suit for a job interview.