Q:  As a Biology specialist contributing to the new Resources for College
Libraries, what aspect of biology publishing do you feel has changed
the most since 1988?

A:  Completion of the Human Genome (and dozens of other organisms' genomes) is perhaps one of the greatest scientific achievements EVER. It has spawned the creation of a New Biology of genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, chemical biology, systems biology -- each well-established disciplines or sub-disciplines, several of which did not exist in 1988! Not only is it the major research driver, but these research fronts are impacting the way undergraduate biology is being taught and how scientific, technical, and medical information is being generated, archived, and shared.

Q:  There have been so many technology advances since 1988, how has
this impacted the material published on Biology?

A:  Among notable technological advances contributing to new resources for college libraries, are micro-arrays, high-throughput processes, X-ray crystallography, NRM and mass spectroscopy, which are allowing researchers to produce sequence data on nucleic acids (DNAs and RNAs) and proteins (amino acid sequences) that are linking specific molecular sequences to physiological or biochemical functions.

Q:  Would you consider any one major advancement in the field of
Biology as standing out above the rest?

A:  Completion of the Human Genome.

Q:  Are there more discussions of ethics now than there were 18 years ago, or have the issues simply changed?

A:  The issues have changed and, in response, the ethical discussions have responded to increase the ethical considerations

Q:  How many new subject categories, would you guess, have evolved
under the heading of Biology since 1988?

A:  Dozens!

Q:  What are the challenges that you face tackling such a
high-growth segment of academic literature?

A:  The greatest challenge is keeping up with the rapidly changing research fields, technologies, and information trends. I presented a paper at the March 2006 American Chemical Society, whose title pretty much sums it up: "Continuing Education for Biological and Life Sciences Librarians in the Post-Genomic Era: You CAN Teach an Old Dog New Tricks."

Q:  Can you give us 3 must-have titles that you feel every library
should carry in this subject?

Q:  What has this project brought to you, personally and/or
professionally, that you did not anticipate?

A:  In 1968, as a freshman biology major at Hartwick College, I read at the suggestion of Dr. Earl E. Deubler, a then-new book, The Biological Time Bomb. This project reveals how big that time bomb was and that it exploded with a resulting release of energy and information that is nothing less than amazing!

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