2016 - Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association

Amherst, MA

University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Submitted by: Paula Borrego

UMass Amherst PTRC has seen some changes with more to come. Our Government Documents Librarian, Barbara Morgan, retired and soon our Director of Libraries will be doing the same. I am currently on sabbatical working on a Patent & Trademark Outreach Project. I hope to visit local public libraries to get the word out, as well as visit some other PTRC Libraries, business centers, and innovation groups. My project began by creating a database of contacts, Continue reading

Ann Arbor, MI

University of Michigan Libraries
Submitted by: Leena Lalwani

The Ann Arbor MI PTDL is located in the Art, Architecture and Engineering Library (AAEL) in the Duderstadt Center at the University of Michigan. AAEL houses the Art & Design, Architecture & Urban Planning and Engineering Collections. We provided intellectual property support to our faculty and students including special innovation offices like Tech Transfer, and Medical Innovation from the university and we also worked with independent inventors from the state of Michigan. We had the USPTO Examiners come in talk to 19 classes this year 8 in the Fall 2015 and 11 in Winter 2016. Continue reading

Atlanta, GA

Georgia Institute of Technology
Submitted by: Lisha Li

2016 marks the 70th anniversary of the Georgia Tech Library joining the Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) Program under the USPTO. The Georgia Tech PTRC is located at the Georgia Tech main library. Lisha Li serves as the current PTRC Representative and the patent librarian, in addition to her engineering subject liaison responsibilities.

The Georgia Tech Library’s five year renewal project is ongoing. Beginning in January 2016, with the closing of the Crosland Tower (or the East Building), Continue reading

Auburn, AL

Auburn University Library
Submitted by: Andrew Wohrley

I am Andrew Wohrley and the PTRC functions as a part of the reference collection at Auburn University Libraries.

This past year there have been three activities that have impacted the PTRC and all of them are non-traditional compared to our usual activities.

The College of Engineering has been excited by General Electric moving their additive manufacturing engine core plant to town. You may have heard of additive manufacturing before as 3D printing or rapid prototyping. Continue reading

Cheyenne, WY

Wyoming State Library
Submitted by: Karen Kitchens

I am Karen Kitchens the State Publications 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 Patent and Trademark Resource Center Program (PTRC) and the Wyoming State Publications Repository Program collections, which are housed at the WSL. I have resided in Wyoming for 25 years and have worked at WSL for 6 ½ years. Continue reading

Cincinnati, OH

Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County
Submitted by: Linda Kocis

The Cincinnati Patent & Trademark Resource Center is located in the Information & Reference department of the Main Branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County (PLCH). The Library has been a member of the PTRC since the program started, and we are always looking for ways to entice people to use the older bound patent documents, including the British patents from 1640-1915.

The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County opened two new buildings this year, Continue reading

Clemson, SC

Clemson University

This has been a relatively quiet year, after last year’s exceptionally busy year. Here are some highlights:

I continued to participate in the evaluation process of the Senior Design projects for Bioengineering. This year they were actually required to meet with me to do a preliminary patent search. This was awesome, if exhausting. There are 18 groups of students, and I saw all of them in a two week time frame. When asked how they proved they met with me, Continue reading

Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Public Library
Submitted by: Jim Bettinger

Cleveland Public Library is one of the original 12 PTRC libraries. We have offered uninterrupted service in IP since 1871, making the year 2016 the 145th anniversary. This year has brought some changes which will enhance service to our professional and public patrons alike.

The actual location of the PTRC within the library moved into Science & Technology Department. Previously, the PTRC had 2 FT staff members: Mona Brown and Erick Walker. Government Documents Department added a supervisory position which was filled by Sarah Dobransky. Continue reading

College Station, TX

Texas A&M University
Submitted by: Jared Hoppenfeld

Howdy from the Texas A&M University West Campus (Business) Library, home of the College Station, Texas PTRC since December 22, 1983. I, Jared Hoppenfeld, along with assistance from library staff member Boyd Conerway, are happy to assist students, faculty, and community members with their P&T questions. Since last seminar, after visiting the Engineering Innovation Center on campus, I was invited to present a 2-hour Patent Pop-Up Session where I taught Engineering students about the wonderful world of patents & Continue reading

Dallas, TX

Dallas Public Library
Submitted by: Kathy Berry

The Dallas Public Library wants to welcome you to the downtown Dallas Public Library anytime you visit Dallas, Texas; you can find us on the 6th floor, currently known as the Government Information Center.

Starting my second year as the Dallas PTRC representative, many programs offered a variety to potential inventors. The ever popular Bob Wise continued his bi-monthly one-to-one question and answer sessions. Pro se inventors utilize this 20-minute session to query Bob about their invention or the patent/trademark process. Continue reading

Dayton, OH

Wright State University
Submitted by: Ran Raider

The Paul Laurence Dunbar Library has been a PTRC since 2000. Our PTRC collection is located in the Information Commons area of the main library. Access to PubWEST and PubEAST is through the Information Commons reference desk. A small collection of hard copy materials are available adjacent the “patent workstations.” This collection is mainly bound plant patents and various indexes.

In 2015, we had 749 requests for intellectual property information through email, telephone, Continue reading

Detroit, MI

Detroit Public Library
Submitted by: Mary Kordyban

The Detroit Public Library has been a PTRC since 1871. It is currently housed in the Business, Science and Technology Department of the Main Library. In recent years we have been promoting our business resources alongside of our PTRC services. This is to be able to help the inventor to market his/her invention, or to help emerging businesses to obtain trademarks, as well to assist with business information.

In 2015 we have been working together with our Parkman Branch to become a Small Business Development Center. Continue reading

Fairfield, CT

Sacred Heart University
Submitted by: Barbara J. Hampton

During Robert Berry’s two terms as the USPTO Fellowship Librarian, I have had the honor of serving as our PTRC representative and have been the principal instructor and outreach provider. Dr. John Soderstrom (Managing Director, Yale University Office of Cooperative Research) spoke to business school students and faculty, thanks to the efforts of University Librarian Gavin Ferriby and Business Librarian Libby Knapik,. He spoke about the ethical dimensions of patents, particularly Yale’s negotiations with Bristol-Meyers Squibb concerning the pricing the AIDS drug Zerit, Continue reading

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Broward County Library System
Submitted by: Eileen Fischlschweiger

My name is Eileen Fischlschweiger. I’ve worked at the Fort Lauderdale PTRC at the Broward County Main Library in the capacity of Patent and Trademark Librarian for 21 years, and have been the PTRC Representative Librarian for 19 years. I have been a librarian with the Broward County Library System for over 27 years. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in both Chemistry and Physics (double major), a Master’s degree in Communications, a considerable amount of graduate level coursework in Education, Continue reading

Honolulu, HI

Hawaii State Library
Submitted by: Stewart Chun

Aloha from our little corner of America,

Many of you may have meet Emily Dovermann when she came to the 36th Annual Training Seminar. That visit has ignited a lot of patent and trademark related activity that included displays celebrating Intellectual Property Day with assistance from Arlene Nagamine and Stewart Chun. Two photos are included showing some of the effort used in our display. Shortly after putting together a workshop, featuring Tom Turner and Neil Massong, Continue reading

Houston, TX

Rice University
Submitted by: Linda Spiro

The PTRC at Fondren Library, Rice University once again had an exceedingly busy year with our own classes and events and those offered at Rice by the USPTO.

In May Michael Hydorn and Daphne Joseph from the PTRC Program at the USPTO visited for three days offering patent and trademark searching training to both our staff and the public. The May 19 day-long well-attended event open to the public also included speakers from area invention-related enterprises: the Houston Inventors Association; Continue reading