By Burke Jensen
In the past, BYU chemistry students doing research have had to dig though the thousands of printed pages to find the sought-after information.
Now, students only have to type in a few words on a computer and the information pops up on their screen.
The Lee Library recently spent $74,000 for the privileges to access a chemistry abstracts database, the SciFinder Scholar.
The SciFinder is a database of chemistry abstracts that covers 8,000 different journals and contains records beginning in 1907, Ward said. It is the premier chemical database in the world.
The SciFinder will help students and professors in two ways, said Randy Ward, a science librarian. First, it will enhance BYU''s chemistry research capabilities. Second, it will prepare students for graduate school and the chemistry industry where this database is frequently used.
'It''s an asset to the name of the university because it will attract more people seeking a degree in chemistry, whether graduate or undergraduate,' said Dave Michaelis, 22, a sophomore majoring in chemistry, from West Jordan, Utah. 'BYU will be able to stay on top of research being done in the world.'
The library purchased the accessing rights to the database starting this semester, Ward said. The library and chemical department had enough usage to justify the purchase.
'When the university purchased access rights, there were nearly 200 universities in the nation that grant PHDs in chemistry and only 12 did not have access to it,' Ward said. 'We were the largest university of the 12.'
The university did subscribe to a printed version of the abstract collection, but the online version is much easier to use, Ward said. With the research easier to find, more people will use it, and that is a very desirable thing.
'This gives people access to what science has done around the world,' Ward said.
The database is widely used in the industries of pharmaceuticals, chemicals and petroleum, Ward said. The largest industry leaders use this database.
'I haven''t started doing research yet where I''d need it (the SciFinder),' Michaelis said, 'but if I were working in a lab, I''d need it more.'
The library purchased five seats, where five different BYU students can use the database at the same time, Ward said. BYU-Idaho and BYU-Hawaii are included in those five seats.
Those who want access to the database need to load a program on their computer that allows them to connect to the database server, said Dr. Fran Nordmeyer, a Chemistry professor. The university is not limited in the number of computers that has this program. The license only limits BYU to five simultaneous users, not the number of possible users.