Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship, Spring 2009

Lots of great articles in this issue! Pretty well every one is worth checking out:

• Percentile-Based Journal Impact Factors: A Neglected Collection Development Metric by A. Ben Wagner, University at Buffalo
  
  
• A Subject Librarian's Guide to Collaborating on e-Science Projects by Jeremy R. Garritano and Jake R. Carlson, Purdue University
  
  
• What Engineering Sophomores Know and Would Like to Know About Engineering Information Sources and Access by Zorana Ercegovac, InfoEN Associates
  
  
• The 2007 STS Continuing Education Survey: Continuing Education Needs of Science/Technology Librarians by Jo Ann Calzonetti, University of Akron, and Linda Crook, Washington State University
  
  
• Quantum Computing: Selected Internet Resources for Librarians, Researchers, and the Casually Curious by Jill Cirasella, Brooklyn College
  
  
• Drug Information: A Guide to Current Resources Reviewed by Vicki J. Killion, Purdue University
  
  
• Research Methods for Comprehensive Science Literature Reviews by Barry N. Brown, The University of Montana
  
  
• A Short Course on Patent Reference for Science and Technology Librarians
  by Linda Shackle, Arizona State University
  
  
• E-Science and Libraries: Finding the Right Path by Jennifer Haas, University of Waterloo, and Sharon Murphy, Queen's University
  
  
• Who's Afraid of Those Big Bad Patents? by Linda Shackle, Arizona State University

If there's one item from the list that I think deserves special attention it's the Short Course on Patent Reference for Science and Technology Librarians by Linda Shackle. I know enough about patents and patent searching to recognize that this is an excellent introduction to the topic. There's enough that I still have to learn to be grateful for this wonderful resource.

This article is an introduction to patent reference for librarians who work in U.S. libraries and will give a foundation on which to build knowledge and skills in this area. Librarians who only occasionally receive patent questions may use this as a "how-to guide" with a list of resources. Although international patents are discussed, the guide is primarily U.S.-based, and covers what a patent is, provides basic searching techniques in the major free patent databases on the web, and links to patent information sources.