The Salt Lake City PTDL is one of the collections of the University of Utah’s Marriott Library. The Marriott Library was first designated a PDL in 1984 (Note –Trademarks were not yet deposited at that time, so there was no ‘T’ as in ‘PTDL’). In addition to our PTDL depository, the Marriott Library has been a federal Government Printing Office (GPO) depository since 1893; a U.S. Department of Energy depository; United Nations, European Union, World Trade Organization and UNESCO depository; and depository for the State of Utah.
As the PTDL representative, I have been one of the Marriott Library’s federal documents librarians since 1987, and a member of PTDLA since my first conference in spring 1987. I have served the Association as Treasurer; chair of the Finance Committee; and PTDLA Chair in 1999/2000. I was delighted to be selected as the Thirteenth Patent Fellowship Librarian from 1996 to 1998 for the PTDL Program Office in the previous (and still missed!) Crystal City location.
My primary assignment at the Marriott Library is in our Knowledge Commons, providing reference services to all patrons who walk in, with more specialized government publications and patent and trademark reference to patrons in person by appointment, by phone, email, or ASK A LIBRARIAN web service. My second responsibility is current team leader for our combined DOCMAPS team, which functionally replaced our physical Government Documents Division. Our DOCMAPS team continues to develop increasingly electronic collections of government information, and present training on these resources to audiences around the University campus and in the community.
This year I have presented patent searching workshops to students in our campus business and entrepreneurial programs; bioengineering design classes for freshmen and upper division classes; and participated in two campus technology competitions, which offer funding and assistance with business development to the winners. I continue to help train campus administrative staff who work on Sponsored Research projects; and new interns working within the Technology Commercialization Office (TCO).
The most exciting news this year has been national recognition for the University of Utah as the ‘Number One’ university in the nation for new start-up companies in 2009, after a couple of years striving with MIT for first place. One significant addition to this accomplishment was that we reached our ‘Number One’ status on about one-third the research dollars available to MIT!
Once again, thanks to the Administration of the Marriott Library for recognizing the value of our PTDL status and participation, and continuing to fund my participation and attendance in a great program!