The Wichita PTRC at Wichita State University Libraries has been in transition during 2014. After the retirement of Nan Myers in 2013, Associate Dean Rhonda Huisman assumed responsibility in early 2014 as the PTRC Representative. Jo Gregg-Plumb, long-time library assistant to our PTRC, handled incoming inquiries and met with many of our patrons during this past year, as well as updated our LibGuides and web resources. In addition, Huisman was instrumental in bringing up PubWest for the use of patent searchers.
The primary transition goal for us in 2014 was to offer training in patents and trademarks to our reference librarians, and continue looking for online sessions or other opportunities. Also, Gregg-Plumb and our Engineering Librarian traveled to the PTRC at Oklahoma State for a day to receive training from Suzanne Reinman, who was very helpful.
Nan Myers has returned part-time to University Libraries in another capacity, but has offered training workshops to the faculty/staff and been available for more in-depth questions. Myers attended the 36th Annual Patent & Trademark Resource Center Program Training Seminar in Alexandria, VA (March 23-28, 2014) and then made the related training materials available at the Wichita PTRC. She continued to work with our local Small Business Development Center and offered Patent & Trademark workshops through their program schedule in February, April and October of 2014.
We are looking forward to 2015 as we continue to develop partnerships on the campus and in the community, which includes offering a program on Patent Searching to the Inventors Association of South Central Kansas (IASCK) on March 23, and in September 2015, we look forward to hosting Craig Morris, Managing Attorney for Trademark Outreach at the USPTO, for a Trademark Basics program to be held at Ablah Library.