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Have an idea for an invention? The Library has many resources to help you learn about the patent process and how to determine patentability. The library materials listed below will help you get started. Many of these resources are available at the Clark County Library which houses a full U.S. patent depository. Staff are also available to guide you through your search.
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LIBRARY CATALOG Books for Adults Nolo's patents for beginners by Pressman, David Also available on-line in eBooks To Go   Books for Teens Brainstorm! : the stories of twenty American kid inventors by Tucker, Tom Kids have invented many things. From Earmuffs, to the Atomic Simulator, the world wouldn´t be the same without kids thinking things up.   Books for Older Children American women inventors by Camp, Carole Ann Ten biographies of American women inventors, including Madam C.J. Walker, Lillian Gilbreth, Beulah Henry, Elizabeth Lee Hazen, Rachel Fuller Brown, Katherine Blodgett, Gertrude B. Elion, Stephanie Louise Kwolek, Edith Flanigen, and Ellen Ochoa.   Books for Younger Children Robert Crowther's amazing pop-up house of inventions by Crowther, Robert A tour of a garage and of the different rooms in a house reveals facts about the invention of numerous items found there.   More books for: Adults Teens Older Children Younger Children   FOR MORE LIBRARY RESOURCES TRY: Inventions Inventors Patents

RESEARCH DATABASES  Business Plans Handbook This multi-volume set will help you write your business plan. Shows sample plans taken from businesses in the manufacturing, retail, and service industries. Includes a sample business plan template and several fictional plans.  Computer Databases Find information on computer technology, telecommunications, robotics and the electronics industry. Also contains reviews of the latest consumer products.  Computer Sciences Reviews the history of computers and its concepts, and profiles contributors in the field. The impact of computers on society is explored, with examples in literature and film to illustrate and support trends.  Credo Reference One stop shopping for encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and books of quotations, not to mention a range of subject-specific titles. Be sure to try the "Concept Map", it's really cool!  Legal Forms Need a legal form? This database offers mostly Nevada legal forms which can be downloaded and filled in as needed. Contains legal definations and a guide to attorneys throughout the U.S. Another feature is 'handbooks' on a variety of legal topics which covers information in other states or federal law.  Legal Trac Search this database to find articles from legal magazines and newspapers concerning Federal and State laws and regulations. Also includes international law from selected countries.  Science Resource Center Includes topic overviews, experiments, biographies, pictures and illustrations and the latest scientific developments are covered in articles from over 200 magazines and academic journals and links to quality web sites. The database covers curriculum-related science topics and offers teachers an easy-to-use tool to identify content directly correlated to state and national standards.  Thomas Register Global Thomas Global is a directory of 700,000 manufacturers and distributors from 28 countries, classified by 11,000 products and services categories  Thomas Register US Thomas Register is an industrial product search engine that provides one source for finding the exact product, service, or supplier within the United State. Also provides direct access to the detailed information including line-item product details, CAD drawings, and more. RESOURCES IN YOUR LIBRARY  Patent and Trademark Depository Library An official Patent and Trademark Library. DIGITAL BOOKS  Nolo's Patents for beginners A primer every first-time inventor needs. WEB SITES  American Inventors and Inventions Smithsonian Institution's list of American inventors  Invent Now The National Inventors Hall of Fame: Invent Now is a non-profit organization that brings to the world a wide range of programs, places, content and other experiences. Everything we offer is in service of our mission: to celebrate and foster the spirit and practice of invention - the innate human impulse that drives social and economic progress.  Inventions - With Wild and Wacky Games National Geographic's site for Inventions for kids.  Inventions Change our Lives From the World Almanack for Kids.  ip.com IP.com is the world's leader in defensive publications and legal safeguarding of all electronic records. Providing web-based and desktop solutions to facilitate the rapid and reliable publication of technical disclosures and the irrefutable protection of electronic documents.  Lemelson-MIT project The Lemelson-MIT Program celebrates those inventors who have turned their ideas into accomplishments. We foster an enthusiasm for asking - and answering - the questions that change lives. Includes the Inventor of the Week, Inventor's Handbook, Games and Trivia, and Links and Resources.  McGraw-Hill Access Science: Encyclopedia of Science and Technology online A free online companion to the 10th Edition of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology. The site has been completely redesigned and now features an index search tool, more supplemental articles, 9 Spotlights including audio interviews and other rich media from AccessScience, related McGraw-Hill titles, and additional multimedia offerings. Features and articles will be updated regularly through the life of EST10. We encourage everyone who uses the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology to visit the site regularly.  Museum of Ancient Inventions From the Smith College History of Science, a display of inventions from ancient and pre-history.  Nolo Press: Patents Information from Nolo Press - the largest publisher of legal books for the general public.  Patent Searching From the University of Texas, a tutorial to help you learn to perform a patent search  Searching for US Patents on the Internet A how-to tutorial, presented by the University of Maine's Folger Library.  The History of Invention An invention timeline, from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation  Trilateral First Page Database Trilateral Cooperation is the organization that unites the USPTO, the European Patent Office, and the Japanese Patent Office. The FPDB contains the bibliographic data, abstract and representative drawing of patent gazettes published by the European Patent Office, France, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Japan, United States and the World Intellectual Property Organization.  Yahooligans Directory of Inventions Helpful links for all things inventions, for kids.  Zoom - Inventors and Inventions Enchanted Learnings web encyclopedia of inventions, for young audiences. NATIONAL RESOURCES  Index of US Patent Classification (USPC) The Index to USPC often referred to simply as "the index", is intended as an initial entry point for users unfamiliar with the USPC and is used by experienced searchers trying to locate an unfamiliar topic.  Manual of Classification The Manual lists the classifications within the United States Patent Classification System consisting of more than 450 major subdivisions.  United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) The official web site of the governing body regarding Patents and Trademarks within the United States.  USPTO Patent Full Text and Image Database Once you have determined the applicable class(es) and subclass(es) for your patent using the classification manuals above, search for all the patents within that classification using this resource. Also available at the Clark County Library.