Records of the American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Information

The Division of Chemical Information (CINF) is a currently active division of the American Chemical Society. Its origins date back to 1943, when Gustav Egloff, Mary Alexander, and Prudence Van Arsdell of the Universal Oil Products Company presented the paper “Problems of Scientific Literature Survey”. Later that year, the interest generated by this paper within the ACS led to the formation of the Chemical Literature Group. Initially part of the ACS’ Division of Chemical Education, the new section soon experienced rapid growth.

In 1948, the Chemical Literature Group was granted divisional status and was renamed the Division of Chemical Literature, with Norman C. Hill serving as its first chairman. The new division concerned itself with the issues concerning the primary and secondary publication of chemical literature. The new division held its first session at the 1949 ACS Spring Meeting. That same year, it started publishing its quarterly newsletter Chemical Literature (later renamed Chemical Information Bulletin).

The Division of Chemical Literature experienced significant growth. In 1961, the division started publishing The Journal of Chemical Documentation, with Herman Skolnik serving as its first editor. During the 1960s and 1970s, its membership increasingly concerned itself with advances in information technology and the increasing electronic dissemination of chemical information. In recognition of the evolving interests of its membership, the Division of Chemical Literature was renamed the Division of Chemical Information in 1976.

The Division of Chemical Information currently “Fosters the sharing of expertise in science informatics, information technology, and librarianship to ensure members benefit from the experience of others and are able to improve the dissemination and utilization of scientific information.” Over the course of its existence, the division has sponsored a number of symposia and workshops. The division also sponsors several awards, including the Herman Skolnik Award, the Val Metanomski Meritorious Service Award, and the Lucille M. Wert Student Scholarship.

Sources

American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Information Website - https://acscinf.org/

Browne, Charles Albert and Mary Elvira Weeks, A History of the American Chemical Society, Seventy-Five Eventful Years, Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society, 1952.

Records of the American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Information, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.