For 25 years, beginning in 1984 with Vol. 62, paperback copies of the annual volumes of Organic Syntheses were distributed to members of the Division of Organic Chemistry. This has worked well for both the Division of Organic Chemistry and Organic Syntheses over the years. However, technology has changed and in the modern era a source like Organic Syntheses is much more valuable if it is readily accessible on a computer and is searchable. Organic Syntheses, Inc. developed a free data base that includes all the material on the checked preparations in Organic Syntheses from Volume 1. It is linked to the Division of Organic Chemistry website at http://organicdivision.org/orgsyn or can be accessed directly at http://www.orgsyn.org. The database is searchable by structural and reaction transfer inquires as well as keywords and bibliographic terms. For those interested in browsing the most current volume, selection of that volume will bring up the graphical abstracts which are clickable to provide the complete preparation write-up. Articles from the upcoming volume of Organic Syntheses that are not yet incorporated in the searchable database can be accessed by the “ORGSYN EXPRESS” button.
At this stage the paper edition is less useful than the electronic issue. The latter is free to everyone, so there is little added value in sending CD’s or flash drives in place of the paperback edition. In regard to the paperback edition, Organic Syntheses Inc. bore the cost of printing of these volumes and the division the cost of distribution. Both of these costs have increased over the years, but particularly the mailing costs have increased dramatically. The Board of Directors of Organic Syntheses, Inc. and the Executive Committee of the division have decided to discontinue the publication and distribution of the paperback editions of Organic Syntheses effective with the current Volume 87. The savings on printing of the paperback edition have allowed Organic Syntheses, Inc. to increase its support of the Division of Organic Chemistry graduate fellowship program to 2.5 fellowships in 2010.