Spotlight on the Subject Knowledge of Chemistry Librarians: Results of a Survey

Abstract

A survey of academic chemistry librarians concerning how they obtain and maintain subject knowledge found that 86% took college level chemistry courses, 64% have a science degree, and 43% have a degree in chemistry. To continue their education, respondents spend an average of 4 hours and 42 minutes each week on professional development activities such as scanning core science journals, subscribing to science discussion lists, surfing the World Wide Web, attending lectures, conferences, and workshops, and personal contact with academic faculty and scientists. Of these activities, discussion lists, personal contact, and scanning core journals were the most frequently utilized resource types. A ranking of the top resources exploited by the respondents is also included.