The Oklahoma State University Library has been a Patent and Trademark Depository Library since 1956. We are housed in the main University Library and are part of the Government Documents Department, a regional depository for federal government documents.
Researchers/inventors make appointments with us to work one-on-one, and we have many contacts by phone. Our website includes most of our service information and links to information for inventors at USPTO: http://www.library.okstate.edu/patents/. The How to Conduct a Preliminary U.S. Patent Search: A Step by Step Strategy and From Concept to Protection videos at USPTO are excellent resources.
In February, I gave a workshop on “Using Patents to Supplement Your Research” through our Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Several faculty members attended. I am continuing to emphasize to researchers the importance of searching patents in addition to journal literature. At the end of the year, I offered a training session to our science librarians as to patent basics. I have developed a LibGuide “Patents Online: Basics for Researchers,” that includes an overview of patents in addition to searching by topic and fields, http://info.library.okstate.edu/patents_online
I have been encouraging the state-funded Inventor’s Assistance Service/New Product Development Center on our campus to send researchers to our PTRC to begin an initial patent search. I provide a seminar on trademarks at the basic training workshops given by the Food and Agricultural Products Center. I continue to offer a preliminary patent research workshop in Tulsa. I continue to work with the Inventor’s Congress (club) in the state. I also participate in our Research Week on campus to highlight our services. Patrick Ragains (Reno PTRC), editor of Information literacy instruction that works by Patrick Ragains, is publishing the second edition of his book this year, and I was able to contribute the chapter on patents.
I appreciate the opportunity to continue to be able to serve as the PTDL newsletter editor. Thank you to Esther Crawford who is now hosting it on the PTDLA website!