The Role of the Patent and Trademark Librarian in the Digital Age

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The Role of the Patent and Trademark Librarian in
the Digital Age

• Karen Stanley Grigg
• North Carolina State University Libraries

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The changing digital world requires Patent and
Trademark Depository Librarians to serve new ways
roles in providing access to patent and trademark
services and collections.
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Presentation Topics

• Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program
  (PTDLP)
• Stakeholders
• Time and Location- Independent Services and
  Collections
• Evaluation of USPTO searching tools
• Changing Roles of the Patent and Trademark
  Librarian

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What is the PTDLP?

• PTDLP launched in 1871.
• Purpose- to decentralize patent and trademark
  information.
• Originally 22 libraries, now 4 times that amount.
• Half of PTDLs are public, half academic.

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Who are the stakeholders?

• Faculty
• As inventors
• As instructors
• Students
• As inventors
• As scholars
• Extension Community
• General Public

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Evolution of USPTO Searching Tools

• Print tools until 1988.
• CASSIS system launched in 1988.
• USPTO web site launched in 1996.
• CASSIS concurrently maintained along with Web
  database.

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Traditional Service Model

• Undistributed.
• Not time and location- independent.
• In academic library, main focus on external
  patrons.
• Little time left to promote patent and trademark
  information to internal patrons.

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Can we apply distance learning model to PTDLP?

• Universities showing growing commitment to time
  and location-independent services.
• This model is successful with students- why not
  use with services to outside patrons?
• Geographical separation of patrons from PTDL.

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Independent inventor a good candidate to be a
distance learner

• Inventors autonomous and self-directed.
• Number of Americans with internet access
  increasing dramatically.
• Home computer users have high expectations of
  what the Web can deliver.

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Evaluation of USPTO Searching Tools

• By 2000, the USPTO added all U.S. patent images
  back to 1790. However
• full text searchability limited.
• TIFF format used- requires separate plug-in.
• prints one page at a time.
• USPTO is maintaining upkeep for two separate
  search systems.
• CASSIS interface difficult to use and unavailable
  remotely.

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Changing Roles of Librarians in Digital
Environment

• New roles emerging
• Technological Liaison
• Curriculum Advisor
• Trainer
• Advocate for patrons to the USPTO

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Technological Liaison

• Creation of matrix that identifies questions that
  can and cannot be answered remotely.
• Creation of support tools
• web sites
• multimedia tutorials
• Partnership with USPTO to enhance search tools
  and collections.

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Examples of helpful tools
Patent Search Tutorial and Information -
University of Texas http//www.lib.utexas.edu/engi
n/patent-tutorial/index.htm NCSU Libraries
North Carolinas Patent and Depository Library
Partner. http//www.lib.ncsu.edu/ptdl/
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Curriculum Advisor

• Partnerships with
• Instruction librarians
• Relevant departments and faculty
• Curriculum- integrated instruction model allows
  for building these skills into the curriculum.

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Role as Trainer

• Decentralized service model requires greater
  competencies of all reference staff.
• Tiered service model.

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Tiered Service Model

• Three tiers
• First tier should be required of all reference
  staff.
• Second tier will be distributed to backups.
• The third tier - patent and trademark subject
  specialist.
• Begins with understanding of two types of patent
  questions- known and unknown.

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Known Patent Questions

• Patron is looking for something believed to
  exist.
• Known Patent Questions are often easiest for
  beginners.
• Some examples
• My great-grandfather invented a widget in the
  1920s or 1930s and I am trying to find a record
  of the patent.
• This journal article references US Patent number
  5,146,634 and I need a copy of the patent.
• I am trying to print a list of all the
  trademarks held by Ocean Spray Corporation.

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Unknown Patent Questions

• Usually exist when researching the uniqueness of
  invention or trademark and searching for prior
  art.
• Challenges
• Complexity- must use classification system.
• Legal issues- cannot give any legal advice.
• Unlike most searches, goal is to NOT find results.

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Development of Tiered Service Model
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Competencies, all Reference Staff (Tier One)

• The ability to
• Conduct the reference interview
• Assist patrons with basic known patent and
  trademark questions and
• Identify and assist patentability patrons.

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Tier Two Reference Staff

• All of the competencies expected of Tier One
  Reference Staff plus
• The ability to
• Use print indexes for more complex questions
• Handle patrons with more challenging
  patentability questions and
• Assist when reference staff are overwhelmed by
  other desk traffic.

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Patent and Trademark Librarian

• All of the competencies expected of Tier One and
  Tier Two Reference Staff plus
• The ability to
• Handle difficult reference questions that Tier
  One or Tier Two Reference Staff have not been
  able to answer.
• Provide reference training.

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Patent and Trademark Librarian, cont.

• Integrate patent and trademark instruction into
  the curriculum where appropriate
• Maintain patent and trademark collections
• Administer the duties the USPTO requires of
  PTDLs and
• Serve as an advocate to the USPTO for patron
  needs.

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Advocate for Patrons to the USPTO

• Communication with USPTO about patron needs.
• CASSIS- still necessary?
• Full text availability.
• Navigability of USPTO web.

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Reference Assistance to the Technologically
Challenged

• USPTO withdrawing many paper tools.
• Must strategize on providing services to
  technologically challenged.
• Staffing issues Referral often necessary.

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Conclusion

• Using distance learning model is completely in
  line with mission and values of the PTDLP.
• New service model allows patent librarians to
  serve new and more valuable roles.
• Ultimately, the long-term goal of both the USPTO
  and the PTDL should be to work towards creating
  systems that are convenient and easily accessible
  to all Americans from the privacy of their own
  homes or closest public libraries.