An innovative and effective laboratory experiment of chemical reference literature is reported. The objectives of the experiment are to acquaint the first term student of college chemistry with the vast source of chemical literature that is available to him; to raise the general level of scientific literacy of these first term college students; and to motivate these students for a thirst of understanding what potential there exists in a college library for all areas of knowledge. The 20-page experiment is given to each participant and explained in detail from a college chemistry professor's point of view. (Author)