Press Release

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Online Chemistry Journals Licensed for VIVA Libraries

VIVA
The Virtual Library of Virginia
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Fairfax, Virginia 3/20/2001

The discipline of chemistry is fundamental to  modern science.  Research in chemistry contributes not only to chemistry but to emerging fields from biotechnology to materials science.  Discoveries grounded in an understanding of the latest developments in chemistry  will help to ensure the economic vitality of Virginia and enhance the reputation of Virginia's institutions of higher learning.  The Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) is pleased to announce a license agreement with the American Chemical Society for online access to 30 core journals in chemistry.  This agreement will provide researchers in Virginia with unprecedented access to information from the leading American publisher of chemical information   

 The American Chemical Society (ACS), which was chartered in 1876,  is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States.  The American Chemical Society  is also one of the oldest and most respected scientific publishers.  The Journal of the American Chemical Society was first published in 1879.  This long tradition of scientific communication continues to the current day, taking advantage of the Internet to offer current, authoritative information  to chemists.  ACS publications are available on the web to students and faculty at public higher education institutions in Virginia.  Academic chemistry researchers across the Commonwealth can now take advantage of online versions of  the following ACS journals, most dating back to 1996.  

The ACS Free Search  page supports basic author, title and keyword searching across multiple ACS  journals.  It is also possible to search specific journals by selecting one or more titles from a list.   The ACS Web Subscriber Search page enables more sophisticated searching, including searching for keywords within articles.  Each of the licensed journals also has its own home page.  Researchers can go directly to homes pages for specific ACS titles from the ACS Journals & Magazines page.  Students and faculty can browse a list of articles from the current issue of each journal or select articles from back issues.  A cumulative author index is also available for each journal.  Abstracts and full-text articles are available at the click of a mouse.  Articles are provided in both PDF and HTML formats.  Reference lists in the HTML version of articles allow researchers to go directly to the full text of cited references in other online ACS publications.  One  big advantage of articles in the PDF format is the clarity of chemical formulas and other graphics included in articles.  PDF is the recommended format for those who want to view or print articles in the same form as they originally appeared in printed journals.

ACS journal home pages are likely to contain news and references to hot articles in the field.  Many also include special features. For example, the home page for the journal Analytical Chemistry includes a section with tips for faculty on using the journal in teaching.  In addition to the collection of chemistry research journals licensed by VIVA the ACS Journals & Magazines web page provides links to selected articles and current features from magazines published by ACS.  Publications like Chemical & Engineering News,  Chemical Innovation and Modern Drug Discovery include colorful, interesting, informative and fun -- yes, chemistry can be fun -- articles that are understandable by non-chemists.  For example, check out the What's That Stuff? section of Chemical & Engineering News for explanations of the chemical basis for products ranging from lipstick to Silly Putty to Cheese Whiz.

Another unique feature of the ACS journal collection is ASAP Alerts.  ASAP, which is an acronym for As Soon As Publishable allows researchers to view web versions of research articles accepted by ACS from two weeks to three months before print publications appear.  Students and faculty in Virginia will be able to use this service to sign up for email notification of publications that have been accepted by specific ACS journals.  Notices are sent on a weekly basis or on the same day that articles are accepted.  Email messages distributed to those who take advantage of this service include article references as well as direct links to the articles themselves.  The ACS collection and services such as ASAP Alerts will place the academic community in Virginia on the cutting edge of chemistry research.

VIVA, The Virtual Library of Virginia, is the consortium of the libraries of the 39 state-assisted colleges and universities (at 52 campuses) within the Commonwealth of Virginia. In addition, 32 independent (private, non-profit) institutions and The Library of Virginia participate where possible. VIVA's mission is to provide, in an equitable, co-operative, and cost-effective manner, enhanced access to library and information resources for Virginia's academic libraries serving the higher education community. VIVA is sponsored by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

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Last updated March 26, 2001