2024 - Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association

Buffalo, NY

Buffalo and Erie County Public Library
Submitted by: Carol Kowalik-Happy

In the past year our department has been in the process of a huge reorganization.
- The PTRC is now under the umbrella of System Adult Outreach Services.
- Currently, I am having at least two other staff members take the trainings to familiarize themselves with the program.
We have successfully cooperated with SCORE and the small business community to inform people of this resource.

Dan Caufield presenting at Straight Talk Business Conference. Continue reading

Burlington, VT

University of Vermont
Submitted by: Graham Sherriff

In the Fall of 2023, patent instruction was included in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Science’s First Year Seminar for the first time. In this course, PTRC rep Graham Sherriff taught 358 students learn how to find patents for floor-scrubbing and floor-sweeping machines.
Graham and Web Services Librarian, Molly Rogers, completed a report on usability testing of Google Patents and Patent Public Search with undergraduate Engineering students. Their paper can be read in the Journal of the PTRCA.

Butte, MT

Montana Technological University
Submitted by: Scott Juskiewicz

The MT Tech Library offers patent and trademark instruction to chemistry students in a required class for all chemistry students. The instruction is based around multiple homework assignments for the class.
The MT Tech Library is looking forward to being part of the Future Innovators program.

Library

Charlotte, NC

University of North Carolina
Submitted by: Angel Truesdale

Subjects:
Business, Organizational Science, Professional Studies

As a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC), Atkins Library receives, stores and provides public access to copies of U.S. patents and patent and trademark materials. Atkins Library is only one of two libraries with this designation in North Carolina (the other is located at NCSU in Raleigh https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/ptrc)

As a PTRC, Continue reading

Cheyenne, WY

Wyoming State Library
Submitted by: Anne Kuipers

Our PTRC had a table at an outreach event for State municipal administrators.
Continued meeting with all local Small Business Development Center business mentors on the basics of IP and on PTRC services.
Created a new handout for the PTRC aimed at small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Began cross-training other Wyoming State Library librarians on the PTRC and IP basics.

Chicago, IL

Chicago Public Library
Submitted by: Jean Petersen & Jason Nosek

As part of the restructuring of the Chicago Public Library’s central library, the Harold Washington Library Center, the new Business, Science, Technology, & Government Unit (BSTG) added four new Librarian staff members to the department during the Fall of 2023.
A new permanent manager was appointed to the department in summer of 2023.
With the new increased staffing, the BSTG Unit has re-started its programming to aid small business, including doing workshops with the local Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program.

Clemson, SC

Clemson University
Submitted by: Jennifer Groff

Representatives from the USPTO visited Clemson University in April 2023 to speak to students, faculty and staff and community members about intellectual property in a series of presentations. There was also a day of meetings with faculty and student groups who are engaged with IP.
I provided a guest lecture “PTRCs: How We Can Help” for SC State University’s Special Topics class-Introduction to Intellectual Property Management.
I continued 1:1 patent searching consultations with all of Clemson’s Bioengineering Senior Design teams and had 49 consultations since April 2023 (a mix of 1st and 2nd semester students).

College Park, MD

University of Maryland
Submitted by: Jim Miller

PTRC Staff at STEM Library, University of Maryland:
- PTRC Rep: Jim Miller (since 1998)
- STEM Library Head: Nevenka Zdravkovska
- Agriculture Librarian: Isabella Baxter
- Open Science Librarian: Sarah Weiss
- Plant Patent Color images –https://digital.lib.umd.edu/plantpatents
- Includes up to PP34350 (2022-06-14)
- 1000+ waiting for loading; PP35363 is the last paper copy
- GIS Librarian Milan Budhathokiis working on Plant Patent Portal (P3): https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/05fe8e0e86ad4a0f9a757ad76f8b654b/

Patent events and presentations (Jim and Sarah):
- Morgan State Univ (Baltimore) “Start a Business”

College Station, TX

Texas A&M University
Submitted by: Pauline Melgoza

I have replaced Jared Hoppenfeld as the PTRC rep at College Station.
He has moved to a new position at Texas A&M University.

Pauline Melgoza

Columbus, OH

The Columbus Ohio University
Submitted by: Ash Faulkner

New PTRC designated on February 22, 2024.
They had team meetings and planning during March 2024.
They will be starting programming and office hours in April 2024.

Ash E. Faulkner Business & Economics Librarian

Florian Diekmann Food, Agricultural & Environmental Science Librarian

Patricia Verdines Engineering Librarian

Dallas, TX

Dallas Public Library
Submitted by: Eddy Hubbard

Interest in Dallas residents in filing their own Trademark has increased in the last 6 months.
Since making PTRC basic help as work appointments here at DPL, Dallas residents are better informed regarding the process and more comfortable with filing an application with either patent or trademarks.
Sherry Cortes is our back-up PTRC person at DPL.

Davenport, IA

Davenport Public Library
Submitted by: Bill Fuhr

This year we launched “Library Business Assistance”, a program connecting people with local and regional economic development agencies to learn new skills or start/expand a business.
Enjoyed a well-attended “Filing a Patent: What Happens Next” virtual presentation from The Midwest Regional Office along with University of Iowa State Libraries on March 21st.

Dayton, OH

Wright State University
Submitted by: Phil Flynn

The Wright State PTRC is in transition after Ran Raider retired.
Successful presentations include graduate level IP/Patent classes in biomedical engineering and undergraduate chemistry classes.

Denver, CO

Denver Public Library
Submitted by: Brooke Jennings

We have been mostly focused on getting ready to reopen the building post renovations slated for Q3 2024.
I continue to provide virtual one-on-one appointments with customers.
I also continue to provide training on the services we provide regarding the PTRC for new hires.

Detroit, MI

Detroit Public Library
Submitted by: Jessica Bostian

Jessica Bostian appointed as the PTRC representative in 2024, Mary Kordyban still at DPL.
Chris Bloodworth, Government Documents Librarian.

Business, Science, & Technology Department is still closed due to flood damage, but could open later this year.
Reopening our makerspace, featuring the Anycubic Kobra Max 3D Printer.

Durango, CO

Durango Public Library
Submitted by: Donna Arment

Partnered with the USPTO Regional Office on an IP presentation for the Western Slop Startup Week in August 2023.
Partnered with their local SBDC for their Starting Your Business Workshop, four times in 2023.
Placed all their plant patents in binders.

Plant Patent Binders