Illinois State Library

PATENTS, TRADEMARKS, AND COPYRIGHT

Notice:

The Illinois State Library has regretfully decided to relinquish our role as a United States Patent & Trademark Depository Library.

ISL Patent and Trademark librarian Margaret Collins retired this fall, and ISL administration looked at staffing options for the Patent & Trademark Library following her departure. Designating existing staff to handle patent & trademark responsibilities is not possible long-term.

We have served as one of 88 patent libraries nationwide for twenty-five years. With advances in technology, it is now easier for inventors, researchers and patent attorneys to conduct patent searches via the Internet.

Our closing means the closest patent libraries are in St. Louis and Chicago. While we regret that our role as a Patent & Trademark Depository Library is coming to an end, we greatly appreciate the work of ISL staff that has made our patent & trademark role so important during the past twenty-five years. Our reference staff will continue to respond to basic patent and trademark questions.

Information pertaining to Abraham Lincoln's patent is still accessible from the State Library's website at the URL provided below:

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/what_we_have/patents_and_trademarks/lincolnpatents.html