Accelerate Your Understanding
ACS In Focus digital primers help readers of all levels accelerate their fundamental understanding of emerging topics and techniques from across the sciences. The series modernized the time-tested format of a print book with multimedia content to extend the learning experience. The reading experience is more akin to navigating web pages, including pop-ups, point-and-click options, animations, videos, and links to external resources.
Although the library purchased and owned these books, individual users can tailor their reading experience. The e-reader allows you to configure the digital primer to suit your preferred reading style.
Customize
Hate hyphenation? Need a bigger font size? Prefer to swipe through content instead of scrolling? Use the Reading Options button in the gray navigation bar at the top of the e-reader to customize the digital primer exactly how you like it.
Convenient
No installations, additional logins, or downloads
Access your digital primer quickly and easily through your institution. No additional installations, downloads, or logins are needed; click once and start reading.
No internet? No worries.
Save your primer from any device—laptop, phone, desktop, and tablet—for reading offline where the internet is not available.
Easy navigation
The detailed table of contents is live within the left-hand sidebar, helping you move between sections should you want to revisit a topic, skip ahead, or quickly check where you are in the primer.
Tools for Learning
Video and animation
Interviews with chemists provide insight into fundamental concepts, relevant applications, and advice for those new to the topic. Learning techniques is much easier with video, while animations bring static figures to life.
Pop-up glossary, acronyms, and references
Helpful resources pop up in the same window to help you stay focused on the narrative without losing your place to search for a definition, acronym, or reference.
Chapter pedagogy
A linked outline at the start of each chapter provides an overview of what is to come. That's a Wrap summarizes key points at the end of each chapter.
Read These Next
After reading the ACS In Focus primer, a priority list of review articles or resources is recommended to extend the knowledge journey. Additionally, each work is heavily referenced—conveniently accessible via the sidebar, pop-ups, and end of primer bibliography, providing a roadmap to study further.
Frequently Asked Questions
No installations, additional logins, or downloads
- Do I need special software or hardware to read digital primers?
All you need is your PC, laptop, or hand-held device. ACS In Focus digital primers are read in your web browser and accessed by navigating through the ACS Publications website or directly to the ACS In Focus series page. We recommend you bookmark a title for easy access on any device, whether on or offline. Add the bookmark to your home screen to quickly get you back into the primer on hand-held devices. Note: Access is granted through your library's subscription, so you need to be on a device that recognizes your library's license.
- Do I need to download the work and open it in an e-reader to read it?
ACS In Focus digital primers stream from our server to your device via the web, so there is nothing to download before you start reading.
- Do I need to use a specific web browser?
The latest browsers from Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge support the ACS In Focus digital primers. Based on our testing (as of October 2020), we recommend Apple Safari and Firefox browsers to ensure maximum functionality.
- Do I need to log in to read my digital primer?
Access is granted through your library, possibly requiring a log-in or configurations required by your library for off-campus access. There is no separate log-in needed for reading your digital primer on or offline.
- Can I print my digital primer?
No, primers are designed as read-only online. Multimedia content, links, and other web-based features are heavily integrated into the e-reader experience.
No internet? No worries.
- How do I save my digital primer for offline reading?
While viewing your digital primer in the e-reader, you can save the primer for offline reading in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Click the Check icon and then select "Save for offline reading."
The digital primer file is saved in your browser storage, not on your device. The best way to access the reader offline is to bookmark https://pubs.acs.org/reader/library in your browser to return to the digital primer even when you are offline. Bookmarking your reader library is for accessing your offline titles only. You can also access your offline digital primers in the e-reader by clicking "View Offline Documents," which can be found in the same menu in the upper right-hand corner.
- Why can't I read offline?
Be sure you "Save for Offline" as described above using the device on which you intend to view offline. The primer will only be available for offline use on the device you have saved it to. It is stored in your browser's local storage on that device.
Check to make sure you have bookmarked https://pubs.acs.org/reader/library on your device, and only access this page while offline. The digital primer will be cleared out if you resume online access on a different network when accessing this link.
On mobile devices, we recommend using your system's default browser—Chrome on Android and Safari on iOS. On all other devices, we recommend you use the latest Chrome, Firefox, or Safari browsers for the best experience with offline reading.
If you have followed the steps above and continue to have trouble, please contact [email protected].
- Where are my notes & highlighting?
As of 4/17/2022, taking notes and highlighting are no longer included. You can access your notes on remarqable.com
Easy Navigation
- What is found in the sidebar (left to right)?
- Info: Description of the work, downloadable citation, DOI
- Outline: Linked detailed table of contents to easily navigate around your digital primer
- Materials: All figures (downloadable) and legends are conveniently displayed in the sidebar; click figures to view enlarged images individually or as thumbnails.
- Links: All references can be found in the sidebar, along with a list of citations. Each reference also includes DOIs and Google Scholar links.
- I'm reading on my phone. How do I return to the digital primer after viewing the pop-up glossary?
When reading on a smaller device, such as a smartphone, the pop-up glossary fills most of your screen and conceals the digital primer. Click the "X" in the top right corner of the pop-up to return to your place in the text. This "X" is faint, but it's there for your convenience.
- Does the sidebar have to be closed for offline functionality with my tablet?
Yes. When the sidebar is open, your tablet thinks it is the active window. Please close it to ensure the offline e-reader functionality. This occurs on and offline.
- How do I get back to where I was previously in the digital primer?
Most external links open in another browser tab. Pop-ups of glossary terms, acronym meanings, and references prevent you from having to leave the page.
Internal links—links to other chapters or from the index to the work—will take you to a new destination. You cannot go back to where you were in the primer by clicking on the back button; this action will take you out of the primer. Use the detailed table of contents in the sidebar to navigate to your original place.
- How do I go from the digital primer back to the information webpage?
Click "Visit Publisher's site" in the upper left-hand corner of your digital primer.
Tools for Learning
- Is there a transcript of the videos embedded in my digital primer available?
Each video is accompanied by a text transcript that sits below the video.
Contacting Customer Care
If you aren’t finding an answer you need in this FAQ, please contact [email protected].