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The swatches present in the popular book "The Coal Tar Colours of the Farbwerke vorm. Meister Lucius & Brüning, Höchst on the Main, Germany – A General Part", published in 1896, were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detector and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS) with the aim to identify the synthetic dyes and reveal the correspondences and discrepancies between the information reported in the labels and the actual chemical composition of the samples. The research resulted in guidelines to be followed to connect commercial dye names with Colour Index (C.I.) constitution numbers and produced a molecular database of more than 250 molecules, whose high-resolution mass spectrometric details are reported here for the first time in some cases. Out of 120 samples analysed, ca. 40% did not exactly correspond to the expected dye(s) according to the labels, thus raising awareness of the challenges related to the reliability of historic sources of reference materials and the need to study the composition of these historic samples before using them for chemical research purposes. Furthermore, molecular databases of synthetic dyes are fundamental for the correct identification of these materials in historic textiles, objects and works of art. Thus, the results of this research are extremely useful to all researchers studying dyed objects produced from the second half of the 19th century onwards. [Display omitted] • 120 dye samples produced by M.L.B before 1896 were analysed. • Commercial names of dyes were connected to Colour Index numbers. • A molecular database of more than 250 compounds was compiled. • The partial unreliability of historic books as dye reference material is discussed. • Mass spectrometric details and fragmentation of early synthetic dyes are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the establishment of a glossary on terms pertaining to informational competence. The glossary was written by members of the "Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung" (BMBF; Federal Ministry for Education and Research) in Germany. Goals of the glossary include semantic support for online tutorials, blended learning opportunities, and use in scientific databases in libraries.

The article features the life of Klaus Gerhard Saur and the evolution of Verlag Dokumentation in Germany. He is the chief executive officer (CEO) and managing partner of Walter de Gruyter. He start his publishing career in 1963 at the age of 22, wherein he was the manager of his father's small technical reference books company. After his father's death, he changed the company's name ot Verlag Dokumentation, which later became the leading international publisher of bibliographies and reference books for publishers and libraries. In 1971, Saur collaborated with Borsenverein, founded the Association of German Publishers and Booksellers. In 1978, he changed the name of his company to K G Saur Verlag which became a leader publication company of Jewish literature relating to the Nazi regime.