Public Collectors Patent Observations: Issue 1

The first in a series of three publications created by Public Collectors administrator Marc Fischer in response to a spreadsheet of over 34,000 patent applications by Los Angeles area inventors from 1976-2024. Each issue presents a series of findings, organized into playful categories. The contents of each issue are completely different.

From the introduction:

There are three types of patents: utility patents (how an invention works), design patents (“the visual ornamental characteristics embodied in, or applied to, an article of manufacture”), and plant patents (for when someone wants to legally protect a new species of plant). 

The Los Angeles Central Library is a public library that serves as an official U.S. Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC), as designated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Central Library has a librarian on staff (interviewed in this publication) that can assist patrons with their research. 

Patent Observations is a serial publication by Public Collectors that explores patent applications submitted to the US government’s Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). With support from the Los Angeles Public Library and Library Foundation of Los Angeles, Patent Observations concentrates on the work of Los Angeles-based inventors. The Los Angeles Central Library is a member of the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Program and assists the USPTO in disseminating patent and trademark information to the public. Patent Observations extends from the earlier project and publication series, Library Excavations, which highlights overlooked and obscure materials from public library collections, particularly those that may be at risk of being discarded. 

Issue #1 includes an introduction, notes from the editor, and patent applications and sections titled: Exercise, Diagnosis, and Bodily Manipulation; a couple choice recipes, Cardiac Collection (heart imagery); Amuse-Bouche; Face Time; Phone Distraction, Hand-Held Tools & Devices; and an interview with librarian Stella Mittelbach.

Each issue in this series is an extra beautiful production that is printed on as many as ten or eleven different paper stocks. These books will not be reprinted or widely distributed beyond Half Letter Press and the Central Library in Los Angeles so get this while you can!