Guide to Information Sources in the Physical Sciences

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	Issues in Science and Technology   Librarianship
	Fall 2000

	DOI:10.5062/F4JD4TRH



                      

  Book Reviews
    Guide to Information Sources in the Physical   Sciences
      Kitty Porter
  Stevenson Science and Engineering Library
  Vanderbilt University
  Nashville, Tennessee
porter@library.vanderbilt.edu        


     

 Guide to Information Sources in the Physical Sciences.  David Stern.  Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. 2000. 227 pp.  1-56308-751-0. $65.00 cloth. 

    A typical science reference collection (if such a thing exists) will include guides  to the literature of single disciplines as well as broader guides to the literature  of science and technology in general. The field of physics already has an  excellent, detailed guide edited by Dennis F. Shaw (1994).  In his  book, Guide to Information Sources in the Physical Sciences, David  Stern did not set out to supplant existing guides.  His stated intent is "to serve  as a guide to the major trends and information resources in physics." It is his  stress on these trends that makes the book different from all the others and gives  librarians and physicists a valuable tool for plugging into the rapidly changing  scientific information scene. 

    Stern begins with a discussion of what has been happening in the publication and   distribution of physics information: the rise of the commercial publishers; the   increasing cost of scientific publication; the introduction of electronic   publications; and finally, the role of the library in the electronic future. For   those not in touch with the controversies swirling around copyright and electronic   course reserves, Stern provides an excellent overview, highlighting a few   significant online tools for getting help in explaining the issues involved. The   economic aspects of copyright are set forth in a useful chapter on document   delivery, which covers traditional interlibrary loan as well as major document   delivery services.

    Today many scientists are turning to bibliographic management tools to handle   their reprint collections.  Stern covers the most common of these: EndNote,   Reference Manager, and ProCite.

    There are several chapters covering online resources, beginning with illustrated   discussions of traditional electronic ones such as INSPEC, Current Contents and   Web of Science. Stern also covers physics gateways, newsgroups, internet search   engines, online teaching tools, and the variety of preprint (or print) servers   that are playing increasingly important roles, first in physics, and now in other   scientific disciplines.  

    The chapter on journals not only lists the key physics titles, but also discusses   techniques for the evaluation of journals using the Yale Physics Department   Faculty Journal Survey and the Yale Physics Journal Use Study as examples. In the   chapter on monographic resources, there is a brief mention of resources for   ordering books including library approval plans and online bookstores.

    In keeping with the focus on electronic resources, the final chapter describes some  new approaches to information discovery: enhancement of traditional Abstracting and  Indexing databases, new initiatives for full-text distribution, and next-generation  improvements in database searching.  It ends with a discussion of logistical  concerns that will have to be addressed to maximize the use of these new options.  Most of the sections have suggestions for further reading, many of them containing  links to example web sites. 

    As a nice contrast to the focus on the technological advances covered in the first   eleven chapters, Stern closes his book with an annotated bibliography, "Important   works in the development of physics, 1600-1900," by Kristine K. Fowler.  This   gives the work balance and reminds the reader not to lose sight of the past while   embracing the present and future.

    This is a very pragmatic book. The language is clear and straightforward, making   it not only an excellent tool to use to evaluate a physics resource collection,   but also a guide to help newcomers to the field to understand the information   issues under debate today in many scientific disciplines.

    

References
    Shaw, Dennis F. 1994. Information Sources   in Physics, 3rd ed. New Jersey: Bowker-Saur.        

  

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