CRC Handbook Presentation

CRC HANDBOOK OF CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS:

90 EDITIONS AND STILL GOING STRONG Fiona Macdonald, Taylor and Francis

Outline Early beginnings  Archive highlights  Growth of the Handbook  The Handbook Editors  Notable contributors  A family affair – the Starkoff years  What the future holds 

Early beginnings ca.1903 Company founded by Arthur Friedman + brothers Leo and Emanuel  28 April 1913 First edition of Handbook of Chemistry and Physics published 

Growth of the Handbook 

1913, 1st edition 

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1924, 10th edition 

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1965 pp

1948, 30th edn 

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915 pp

1935, 20th edition 

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116 pp

2704 pp

2009, 90th edn 

2804 pp

From the Preface of Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry, 1st edition “This book is the result of a number of years’ experience in the compiling and editing of data useful to chemists” “Many years of occupation with this type of work bring a realization of the opportunities for the occurrence of errors..”

Norbert A. Lange, Cleveland, Ohio, 1934

The Handbook Editors-in-Chief William R. Veazey 1913-1914  Charles D. Hodgman 1914-1953  Robert C. Weast 1964-1989  David R. Lide 1990-2009  W.M. “Mickey” Haynes 2009 - ? 

The Editor in action

From the Preface of the

th 89

edition

As a teenager, I was crazy about chemistry and with my student pass on Cleveland’s public transportation system I was able to visit any place in town, including the Chemical Rubber Company’s retail outlet. While purchasing chemicals for my own use I noticed a CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics on sale for $0.25. It was a defective copy but the clerk mentioned that the missing pages might be available from the gentleman whose office was up one flight of stairs. There, I met Charles D. Hodgman, the CRC Handbook’s Editor-in-Chief.

In addition to getting the missing pages, I also received some rare and welcome encouragement toward a career in chemistry. 

Elmer Fridrich, inventor of the quartz halogen lamp

Dr David R Lide B.S. Chemistry, Carnegie Inst Technol  M.A. Physics, Harvard  Ph.D. Chemical Physics, Harvard  Former Director, NIST Standard Reference Data Program  1988, Herman Skolnik Award in Chemical Information 

Our new Editor-in-Chief 

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Dr William “Mickey” Haynes Ph.D. Physics Univ Virginia Former Chief, Physical and Chemical Properties Division, NIST Editor Int. J. Thermophys.

Takes charge from 91st edition

Notable contributors Glenn T Seaborg – nuclear chemist, 1951 Nobel Laureate  Carl ‘Speed’ Marvel –polymer chemist  James van Allen – space scientist 

CRC – A Family Affair Founded by Arthur Friedman  Succeeded by his daughter Florence and her husband Bernard Starkoff  Publishing business expanded  Relocated company to Boca Raton, Florida 

Going electronic 1999 Handbook web version launched - Knovel  2004 Revamped web version launched – in house  2009 Structure searching enhancements - ChemAxon 

Looking ahead 

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Other formats Enhanced web content vs print constraints How do we know what to leave out?

Wordcloud – Handbook search terms

Wordle.net

Acknowledgements Rob Doischen, CRC Press – Photography  Joyce Lucas, CRC Press – Company history  Robert Morris, CRC Press – Usage statistics 