Making Sense of Journals in the Physical Sciences: From Specialty Origins to Contemporary Assortment [Monographic Supplement #7 to The Serials Librarian]

The author lays out the patterns of subject specialization within chemistry and physics in nontechnical language, emphasizing the often colourful people and events that influenced the founding of new areas of research and their journals. He then compares the leading titles within the various subspecialties by factors that influence loyalty both among professional audiences and library collection managers. This work intended to build confidence and consensus among librarians seeking to rationally manage what is often the most expensive and extensive portion of their collection.