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- In July we switched many of our programs from virtual using Zoom back to in-person
- We held monthly Patent Searching and general IP classes
- We held quarterly sessions of Ask-a-Patent Attorney, where people could register for a free one-on-one session with a registered Patent Attorney
- We continued to host monthly meetings of the Akron Inventors Club at Main Library
- We have a new patent Librarian,
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- Connecting the plant patent space to the Mass Aggie Seed Library
- Continuing outreach to the community for the patent database InnovationQ
- Patent Coloring Book exercise as a way to teach patent searching in classes
- Connecting with national seed growers about the intellectual property of seeds
- Ann Arbor has been a PTRC since 1983
- Located in Art, Architecture & Engineering Library of University of Michigan
- Engineering Librarians: Leena Lalwani (Rep), Paul Grochowski, Jamie Niehof& Joanna Thielen
- Due to uncertainty of Covid-19 and our ever changing schedule, we have not done any programs this past year.
- We have been setting up appointments for consultations by Zoom using LibCal.
- USPTO Summer IP Series at Georgia Tech (online), Summer 2021 (Eastern Regional Outreach Office; 623 Participants)
- Virtual & limited in-person consultations
- IP webinar series, Spring 2022
- Patent lectures for credit courses:TI:GER Program, Emory Law, Oct. 2021
- Introduction to IP, Fall 2021
- ECE Research Method, Feb. 2022
- Judging for Capstone Design Expo, Fall 2021
- Information Associate Interns: Fall 2021 –present
- Worked on special projects,
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- We are very grateful to see the new Patent Public Search get rolled out.
- Auburn University is embracing innovation and inventors at all levels. The library is beginning an Innovation & Research Commons that combines a MakerSpace, Audio Visual Equipment, recording and video studio, and augmented reality lab that researchers on campus are utilizing.
- The Auburn Research and Technology foundation is providing facilities to attract inventors and entrepreneurs to Auburn.
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- PTRC library location re-opened on August 23, 2021 in a “new normal” arrangement.
- This was after a closure of approximately 17 months and another closure in January.
- Library hours appear to be permanently reduced over years past.
- We continue to offer service over Zoom, e-mail, and phone.
- Staff is formally unchanged but we keep a group of co-workers informed of PTRC and USPTO news; they are our support network.
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- The UVM PTRC resumed in-person assistance in Fall 2021 and shelved the large backlog of plant patents that had accumulated during remote-only service in 2020-2021.
- We overhauled our website information describing the UVM PTRC’s services and resources and redesigned our research guide on patent and trademark searching.
- UVM PTRC Coordinator Graham Sherriff and Electrical Engineering Faculty Dustin Rand successfully submitted an article on students’ prior art searching to the open access journal Issues in Science &
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- Karen Kitchens retired in early 2021 and Anne Kuipers, State Documents Librarian, has taken over her duties as the Wyoming PTRC rep.
- This year has been spent getting Anne settled and informed on her duties, alongside strengthening ties to other organizations, like the Wyoming Small Business Development Center.
- We continued to stay open to the public during 2021, despite the many challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- As part of the continued restructuring of the Chicago Public Library Harold Washington Library Center, the Business/Science/Technology Unit was combined with Government Publications Department to become the Business/Science/Technology and Government Unit.
- As a PTRC we continued to provide reference services to patrons through email, telephone, and socially distanced in-person interactions.
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- Plant Patents Image Database https://digital.lib.umd.edu/plantpatents
- Browse Plant Patents:
- PP Color Images increased from 15,000 to 28,245
- Project History and Credits:
- Includes a Visualization Project section with a link to the PP data visualization beta site “portal” created by GIS and Spatial Data Librarian Milan Budhatthoki
- After a pandemic related 2-year construction period, the 6th floor of the J. Erik Jonsson Library is now open for PTRC activities.
- Programs allowing in-person events are being scheduled again with the public.
- The Texas Regional Office has been in touch to establish programming.
- Iowa’s 175thAnniversary Celebration was in Fall 2021
- Purchased an UltimakerS5 3D printer for our makerspace grand opening in April 2022
- Also in April, we will be launching our Seed Library
- Campus opened to in-person classes
- PTRC able to meet face to face with patrons in appointment room
- Trademark requests outnumbered patent requests (mainly home-based businesses)
- First in-person workshop was held on trademarks and had 6 attendees
- One virtual patent workshop had 22 attendees
- Presented to 5 senior capstone design classes (Mechanical Engineering)
- New University Librarian Karen Wilhoit
- Mask mandate lifted 3/3/22
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- Focusing on our one-on-one appointment services for our patent and trademark customers.
- Presented a tutorial and overview of the PTRC for our local government documents organization, GOPIG.
- Training new PTRC librarians!
- PTRC Reference maintained throughout pandemic. Services were moved to the Social Science, Education and Religion Department, as most of our building is not open
- Program: DPL Business Author Series, Warren Tuttle, Author of Inventor Confidential, The Honest Guide to Profitable Inventing
- Monthly meetings: Inventors Association of Metro Detroit and Inventors Council of Mid-Michigan
- We’ve learned that our PTRC customers don’t like to have reference questions over Zoom. They prefer phone or in-person service.
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