I am Karen Kitchens the Intellectual Property/Documents Librarian at the Wyoming State Library (WSL), located in Cheyenne. I have a BA in Political Science from The University of Akron and a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University. At WSL I am primarily responsible for the United States Patent and Trademark Resource Center Program (PTRC) and the Federal Documents Repository Program collections, which are housed at the WSL. I have resided in Wyoming for 24 years and have worked at WSL for 5 ½ years. Prior to this, I worked as a Reference Librarian and Adult Programming Specialist at the Laramie County Library in Cheyenne. WSL has been a PTRC since 2001.
In February 2014, the Wyoming State Library (WSL) PTRC Joined the Regional Director of the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for a segment on a popular, local radio program on Cheyenne KGAB. The segment focused on intellectual property needs for small business and resources available at WSL.
From September May through July 2014, Wyoming State Library (WSL) PTRC published numerous guest columns on the Wyoming SBDC blog regarding both basic intellectual property information and implementation of changes brought by the America Invents Act of 2011. Subjects included Preliminary Patent Searching and the Wyoming State Library and Does My Small Business Qualify for New Lower Patent Application Fees? This blog is maintained by the Wyoming Small Business Development Center and reaches small business owners, inventors, and entrepreneurs across Wyoming.
On April 5, 2014 the WSL PTRC presented at Senator Mike Enzi’s Annual Inventors and Entrepreneurs Conference. The conference was a one day event featuring a variety of speakers to help ensure attendees have the opportunity to expand their ideas, learn how to secure patents, and develop business plans and market their products. WSL PTRC spoke on the Steps to Successful Preliminary Patent Searching, using both the USPC and the CPC. Unique offerings at WSL PTRC, such as PubWest and PubEast were also discussed. There were nearly 80 attendees. As a result of this presentation, several inventors from around the state subsequently contacted WSL PTRC for further preliminary patent searching help.