Book excerpt: Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in sci-tech librarianship! Information and the Professional Scientist and Engineer examines how electronic resources have affected the ways engineers and scientists seek, use, and communicate information vital to their research and development needs. Information specialists working in academic, corporate, government, and organization libraries discuss the changes in user behavior as academics in science and engineering fields rely more and more on the Internet and online journals. The book provides unique insight into the specific educational needs of college and university students as librarians and department faculty determine appropriate instruction for science and engineering classes. Information and the Professional Scientist and Engineer addresses the distinctions among various science and engineering fields, types of libraries, communities of users, and users within a field or discipline. Within these discussions, librarians also examine the differences between commercial and academic databases, and between personal or group subscriptions to database services, print, and online journals. The book also addresses Geographic Information Systems users through a study of the interconnection among disciplines associated with GIS. Information and the Professional Scientist and Engineer includes bibliographies that provide valuable information resources, reviews of pertinent web sites, tables, figures, and interviews while addressing: the information-seeking behavior of chemists, geologists, pharmacists, botanists, and zoologists the case for an engineering knowledge community online bibliographic sources in hydrology a practical guide to finding physical properties of chemicals new reference works in science and technology new age e-journals, indexes, and services Information and the Professional Scientist and Engineer is a unique resource for librarians and other information specialists, science and engineering faculty and students, and academic administrators.