3. -------------0. So you wanted more review articles- ISI’s new Index to Scientific Reviews (ZSR) will help you find them. Essays of an information scientist. Philadelphia: IS1 Press, 1977. Vol. 2. p. 170-l. (Reprinted from: Current Contents (44):5-6, 30 October 1974.) 4. --------------. Why don’t we have science reviews? Essays of an information scientist. Philadelphia: IS1 Press, 1977. Vol. 2. p. 175-6. (Reprinted from: Current Contents (46):5-6, 13 November 1974.) 5. --1.1..I- Proposal for a new profession: scientific reviewer. Essays of an information scientist. Philadelphia: IS1 Press, 1980. Vol. 3. p. 84-7. (Reprinted from: Current Contents (14):5-8, 4 April 1977.) Benjamin Franklin- 6. ..I. -.I-- . ..- The NAS James Murray Luck Award for Excellence in Scientific Reviewing: G. Alan Robison receives the first award for his work on cyclic AMP. Essays of an information Philadelphia’s Scientist Extraordinaire scientist. Philadelphia: IS1 Press, 1981. Vol. 4. p. 127-31. (Reprinted from: Current Contents (18):5-g, 30 April 1979.) 7, .I.-.- . --.- The 1980 NAS James Murray Luck Award for Excellence in Scientific Reviewing: Conyers Herring receives second award for his work in solid-state physics. Number 40 October 4, 1982 Essays of an information scientist. Philadelphia: IS1 Press, 1981. Vol. 4. p. 512-4. (Reprinted from: Current Contents (25):5-7, 23 June 1980.) Earlier this year I invited Current Con- ness. Two years later, he was appren- 8. ..- . - . ..- The 1981 NAS James Murray Luck Award for Excellence in Scientific Reviewing: tents@ (CC@) readers to visit Philadel- ticed to his brother James, a printer. John S. Chipman receives third award for his reviews in economics. Current Contents (18):5-8, 4 May 1981. phia as we celebrate its 300th birthday.1 ‘While learning his new trade, he taught 9. - . ..- The 1982 NAS fourth J.M. Luck Award for Excellence in Scientific Reviewing goes to Philadelphia offers its residents and himself arithmetic, navigation, gram- Victor McKusick for his mapping of the literature in human genetics. mar, and logic, and read whatever books Current Contents (18):5-g, 3 May 1982. visitors a wide array of scientific attrac- 10. .I- . ..I - . ..I--- ISI’s on-line system makes searching so easy even a scientist can do it: introducing tions. Its universities, museums, librar- he could buy or borrow. Franklin ab- METADEX automatic indexing & ISI/BIOMED SEARCH. ies, foundations, and institutes have sorbed knowledge like a sponge. When Current Contents (4):5-8, 26 January 1981. 11. .._I_. .. .. .-.* ZSZ/CompuMath , multidisciplinary coverage of applied and pure mathematics, statistics, made Philadelphia one of the top re- he was 16, he started a series of satirical and computer science, in print and/or online-take your pick! search centers in the world. In fact, Phil- pieces written under the pseudonym Si- Current Contents (10):5-10, 8 March 1982. adelphia ranks among the world’s top lence Dogood. These appeared in his 12. --------------• Introducing ZSZ/GeoSciTech and the GeoSciTech Citation Index-the 50 most-active research fronts in 1981 in the earth sciences illustrate the unique retrieval capabilities of our new ten cities in the number of local scien- brother’s newspaper, the New England online and print services. Current Contents (28):5-12, 12 July 1982. tists publishing articles and books.2 Coumnt.3 (p. 21) 13. ..-.I -- . ..--1. ABCs of cluster mapping. Parts 1 & 2. Most active fields in the life and physical sciences The apprenticeship became uncom- in 1978. Essays of an information scientist. Philadelphia: IS1 Press, 1981. Vol. 4. p. 634-49. Philadelphia owes much of its current (Reprinted from: Current Contents (40):5-12, 6 October 1980 and scientific prestige to an eighteenth-cen- fortable and confining to Franklin’s pre- Current Contents (41):5-12, 13 October 1980.) tury printer who had only two years of cocious mind. He took the first opportu- 14. II- . ..I - . ..- Computer-aided historiography-how IS1 uses cluster tracking to monitor the “vital signs” of science. Current Contents (14):5-15, 5 April 1982. formal education-Benjamin Franklin. nity to escape the remaining four years 15. - . ..-.I. - . ..- Introducing ZSZ/ZSTP&B (Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings & Books)-online Most of us know Franklin as a rebel, of his contract. James persuaded all the access to the conference literature and multi-authored books. statesman, inventor, businessman, phi- printers in Boston not to hire his upstart Current Contents (34):5-g, 24 August 1981. lanthropist, and author. And his famous younger brother. In later years, he kite-flying experiment with lightning is a regretted running out on James, and part of America’s national folklore. But considered it one of his first “errata.“3 this was just one of his many scientific (pa 32) achievements. Now I’d like to briefly But the course of his later life proved describe Franklin’s contributions to that Franklin would make few mistakes science and, equally important, to the in the future. He arrived in Philadelphia international communication of scien- in 1723, a poor and friendless 17-year- tific information. old runaway apprentice. Five years Carl Van Doren gave an entertaining later, he was master of his own printing account of Franklin’s early life in his ex- shop. In 1729, Franklin became publish- haustive biography,3 which won the Pu- er of his own newspaper, the Pennsylva- litzer prize. Franklin was born in Boston nia Gazette. The following year, he was in 1706 to a crowded household. His appointed official printer for Penn- family eventually included 14 brothers, sylvania, and later for Delaware, New sisters, half brothers, and half sisters. Jersey, and Maryland. In 1733, he issued His father, Josiah, took him out of the first volume of his Poor Richard’s school when he was ten years old to Almanac, which contains homespun work in the family’s candle-making busi- wisdom that is still popular today. 702 703 Twenty-five years after he came to tion library in the American colonies, es- municated, die with the discoverers, and to Collinson, dated March 28, 1747, Philadelphia, Franklin retired as a very tablished in 1731. are lost to mankind; it is, to remedy this reveals the exciting effect this donation successful businessman-printer when he The Library Company raised 6: 45 inconvenience for the future, proposed had on him: “For my own part, I never was 42. He could then afford to devote from the membership fees of its first that one society be formed of.. .inge- was before engaged in any study that so ‘his full attention to an enormously suc- subscribers. At the time, London was nious men residing in the several col- totally engrossed my attention and my cessful career in science.3 (p. 123) the publishing center from which the onies, to be called The American Philo- time as this has lately done; for what Franklin laid the foundation for his colonies imported books. The money sophical Society, who are to maintain a with making experiments when I can be scientific career in 1727, when he orga- and a list of books were sent to Peter constant correspondence.“7 (Vol. 2, alone, and repeating them to my friends nized a discussion club called the Junto. Collinson in London, who acted as the p. 229) and acquaintance.. I have, during some The Junto met regularly at local taverns Library Company’s purchasing agent. Franklin’s clear intention was to es- months past, had little leisure for any to debate various issues. The rules of the Collinson was a Quaker merchant, tablish the first institution through which thing else. “7 (Vol. 2, p. 302) Collinson’s club specified, “Every member.. .should botanist, and fellow of the Royal Society colonial scientists could communicate gift set in motion a series of original ex- produce one or more queries on any of London. He regularly corresponded by correspondence. He planned to issue periments in electricity that won Frank- point of morals, politics, or natural with many “natural philosophers” in the quarterly abstracts of useful correspon- lin international fame and admiration. philosophy, to be discussed by the com- colonies. In the eighteenth century, dence which would be sent without When Franklin began his experiments pany; and once in three months produce “philosophy” was the equivalent term charge through the mail-remember in 1747, European scientists believed and read an essay of his own writing, on for what we now call “science? that Franklin. was postmaster.3 (p. 139) there were two kinds of electrical any subject he pleased. Our debates The first collection of books Collinson But the proposed network of scientific “fluid.” Rubbing glass with silk created were.. .to be conducted in the sincere forwarded to the Library Company in- communications wasn’t limited to the “vitreous” electricity. “Resinous” elec- spirit of inquiry after truth, without cluded works on history, law, econom- colonies. Franklin included the Royal tricity was generated by rubbing resin fondness for dispute, or desire of vic- ics, mathematics, astronomy, govem- Society of London and the Dublin Soci- with wool or fur.3 (p. 156) In a letter to tory? (p. 116) ment, and literature. Collinson also ety on his mailing list. In fact, the Collinson, Franklin formulated a “sin- The Junto soon recognized its need donated Newton’s Principia.3 (p. 105) American Philosophical Society was gle-fluid” theory of electricity. He stated for a library. The members often The Library Company also received do- patterned after the Royal Society.8 (p. 4) that all bodies contain electricity-they brought books from their own small col- nations other than books. These includ- Unfortunately, the members lost en- have no charge because they are in equi- lections for reference in their discussions ed tanned skins, geological specimens, thusiasm after only a few meetings, and librium.