The Chemical Education Digital Library (ChemEd DLib) is a joint project of the American Chemical Society (the world's largest scientific society) and the Journal of Chemical Education (the world's premier education journal in chemical sciences) to provide a pathway to chemistry educational resources through the National Science Digital Library. The ChemEd DLib collects digital resources that enhance teaching and learning of chemical science and makes them available on the Internet for use by college faculty, pre-college teachers, parents, home schoolers, students, and the general public. By interesting students in science, these resources are improving science and technology in the U.S. and enhancing our global competitiveness. Each item added to the collection is categorized according to its subject matter, its approach to teaching and learning, its level in the curriculum, and its mode of interacting with users of the Web. The ChemEd DLib makes it easy for everyone to find resources applicable to their specific needs. An innovative part of the interface uses tables of contents of textbooks to locate resources. Materials collected in the ChemEd DLib are evaluated by experts in pedagogy and content and use the Web effectively to support learning. The ChemEd DLib is developing communities of volunteers centered on subject-matter areas such as organic or physical chemistry, on pedagogical approaches such as inquiry-based learning, and on levels of the curriculum such as high school or two-year college. These communities aid evaluation and dissemination of the materials and will continue development of new materials after the project ends.
