College of DuPage Library

Reference Works

Reference works such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are useful for learning about background information on a topic.

Looking for a general book that explains how to conduct chemistry research? Check out Chemical Information for Chemists: A Primer. We have two copies, one in reference, and one in general, and the book covers patent searching, physical data, reaction searching, and many other topics of interest for chemistry research.

We also have a catalog of current chemicals and lab equipment sold in reference: Aldrich Handbook of Fine Chemicals. Annual.Reference TP 202 .A38

You can also look through the recommended dictionaries and encyclopedias below:

General Chemistry Encyclopedias:

• Chemistry: Foundations and Applications . 4 vols. Reference QD4 .C48 2004
• CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Reference QD65 .H3eb and Online.
• Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary Online.
• Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology (Kirk-Othmer). 3rd, 4th & 5th editions. Reference TP 9 .E685
• Lange's Handbook of Chemistry. Reference TP 151 .H25 2005
• Macmillan Encyclopedia of Chemistry. 4 vols. Reference QD 4 .M33 1997
• Van Nostrand's Encyclopedia of Chemistry. Reference QD4 .V36 2005
• World of Chemistry. Reference QD 33 .W873 2000

Chemistry of Common Objects

• The 100 Most Important Chemical Compounds: a Reference Guide. Reference TP9 .M94 2007 and Online via ABC-CLIO
• 1001 Chemicals in Everyday Products. Reference TP200 .L49 1999 and Online via EBSCO
• Chemical Composition of Everyday Products. Reference QD 75.22 .T64 2005

Properties of Specific Substances

• Spectrum information can be found online in SciFinder. If you can't find your substance there, check the print Aldrich Handbook of FT-IR Spectra (Reference QD 96 .I5 P66 1989) and The Aldrich Library of 1³C and 1H FT NMR Spectra. Reference QC 462.85 .A44 1993
• Chemical Compounds. Online via GALE.
• Chemical Properties Handbook. Reference TP 200 .Y35 1999
• The Elements. 3rd. ed. Reference QD 466 .E48 1998
• Handbook of Inorganic Chemicals. Reference QD 155.5 .P37 2003
• Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 3 vols. Reference T 55.3.H3 S39 2012. and Online

Safety

• CRC Handbook of Laboratory Safety. Reference QD 51 .C73 2000
• Laboratory Health and Safety Dictionary. Reference QD 63.5 .G67 2001
• Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 3 vols. Reference T 55.3.H3 S39 2012. and Online

Models

Check out our chemistry models.

Finding Books& Videos

Use the COD Library catalog to find books & videos. Select the type of resources that you're looking for (books, videos, etc.) and try typing keywords that connect to your topic. You'll need a current College of DuPage Library card to check out books.

Once you've found a book that interests you, write down the book title, location, and call number (the items circled below) and come to the reference desk for help finding it.

Streaming Videos

In addition to many of the DVDs and streaming videos that can be found in the catalog, you can also look through the following streaming platforms for films:

• Films on Demand
• The PBS Video Collection (including NOVA)
• Kanopy has streaming films and documentaries, including a Chemistry collection

See all of our Online Video resources.

The Library subscribes to many databases that provide access to thousands of popular and credible, scholarly journals. Many databases provide access to full-text articles, while some provide information about the article only (citation). Request (for free!) through Interlibrary Loan copies of articles to which the Library doesn't have full-text access.
Access the article databases listed below.

Searching for Chemistry Articles

• Academic Search Complete This database has a lot of good chemistry articles, both popular and scholarly.
• Science Direct Full-text of hundreds of scientific journals from the publisher Elsevier. Be sure to select "Subscribed Journals" from the Source drop-down menu.
• SciFinder indexes a lot of scholarly chemistry articles. Enter your search terms in the initial search box. Want help with searching Scifinder? Look here.
• Science Online. The full text of Science from 1997-Present. Science is available from 1880-1996 in the JSTOR database.

Chemistry journals available online fulltext from databases.

Searching for Other Chemistry Information:

• HAZMAT Zone. Online full text access to MSDS Data Sheets, tutorials working with chemical hazards in the workplace and an MSDS glossary. One user limit at a time. User Name: codlib Password: library
• Knovel Library This database is a cross-searchable collection of electronic books covering many subjects in technology, engineering, applied technology, science, chemistry and physics and much more.
• SciFinder also has lots of great info about chemical compounds, etc., Search by name, formula, or structure. Be sure to read the instructions on the page about creating a username and password, and check out the Searching SciFinder guide.

Websites

• ThoughtCo.Com Chemistry Articles on everyday chemistry and interesting topics in the field, homework help, worked problems with explanations, a chemical structures archive, and more. Both free and for-fee content.
• ChemCollective Interactive activities to help students learn chemistry via virtual labs, tutorials, scenarios, simulations and concept tests. Organized by organized by a group of faculty and staff at Carnegie Mellon University.
• Chemical Industry Home Page Links to chemical suppliers and other websites for patent information, careers, journals, etc.
• Chemistry.org: the Website of the American Chemical Society Although much content is available only to ACS members, open availability of the "molecule of the week" (with archive), News & Research, career resources and many features for students under the Education tab make this a valuable website for chemistry students.
• ChemSpider 28 million chemical structures covered with information and links to literature, physical properties, spectra, and suppliers. Search by official name, trade name, CAS number and more.
• Explore Chemical History from the Science History Institute Time lines, faces, and further resources for such areas of chemistry as matter and molecules, polymers, and the chemistry of life.
• General Chemistry Online Tutorials, exam survival guide, simulations, FAQs, and more from the Department of Chemistry at Frostburg State University. Last maintained in 2010 but still useful.
• HERO Database from the EPA Link to scientific references and data used by the Environmental Protection Agency to determine environmental risks of chemicals. Primarily citation and abstract, not fulltext. Check Library databases for full article or use Interlibrary Loan.
• It's Elemental: the Periodic Table Chemical & Engineering News 80th anniversary issue on the building blocks of chemistry. Includes 89 essays on individual and groups of elements.
• KnowledgeDoor A multitude of data on the elements of the periodic table, including abundances in the human body, the earth, the universe and much more.
• Martindale's The Calculators and Chemistry Center
  Organized by broad topic, a gateway to chemistry sites on the web for everything from journals to periodic tables to tutorials to safety plus many online calculators.
• Material Safety Data Sheets and Where to Find them on the Internet
  Provides an up-to-date list of Internet sites from government agencies, chemical manufacturers and suppliers, and many other searchable sites.
• Molecule of the Month
  History, physical data, use and importance of numerous molecules, most of them organic, contributed each month since 1996. Note additional links to molecule descriptions at the end.
• Molecular Weight Calculation
  Type in a molecule's formula, get the molecular weight and other physical data. No frills website.
• NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
  Authoritative guide to industrial hygiene information for several hundred chemicals with links to RTECS (Registry of Toxicological Effects of Chemical Substances) and other toxicological data sites.
• NIST Chemistry WebBook
  Authoritiative, critically evaluated information from the National Institute of Standards and Technology on structure, formula, and much additional data, seachable by chemical name, CAS number, formula, etc.
• The Orbitron: A Gallery of Orbitals on the WWW
  By energy level, colorful images representing atomic orbitals and molecular orbitals, plus animated plots of wave functions and electron density and more.
• United States Patent and Trademark Office: Google Advanced Search for Patents
  Get the text (image or full-text) of United States patents issued since 1790 by keyword in title or text, patent number or inventor. Since August 2012, European patent documents are accessible as well.
• WebElements Periodic Table
  Clickable elements on the periodic table provide more data on physical properties, history, uses and more for each element.
• Wired Chemist
  Developed by Professor Claude Yoder of Franklin & Marshall College, a site providing an introduction to chemistry, modules on important topics in chemistry, demonstrations of laboratory techniques, NMR spectral data and problems, animations, and laboratory tutorials.
• Links for Chemists: The WWW Virtual Library for Chemists
  Maintained by the University of Liverpool Department of Chemistry, this provides an extensive list of links to valuable websites in many areas of chemistry.
• Yahoo's Index of Chemistry Links
  Search for information by chemistry subject categories or by keyword.