Patent Depository Libraries

The following libraries, designated as Patent Depository Libraries (PDLs), receive current issues of U.S. Patents and maintain collections of earlier-issued patents. The scope of these collections varies from library to library, ranging from patents of only recent years to all or most of the patents issued since 1790.

These patent collections, which are organized in patent number sequence, are available for use by the public free of charge. Each of the PDLs, in addition, offers supplemental reference publications of the U.S. Patent Classification System, including the Manual of Classification,Index to the U.S. Patent Classification, Classification Definitions , and provides technical staff assistance in their use to aid the public, in gaining effective access to information contained in patents. CASSIS (Classification And Search Support Information System): which provides direct, on-line access to Patent and Trademark Office data, is available at all PDLs. Facilities for making paper copies of patents from either microfilm or paper collections are generally provided for a fee.

Since there are variations in the scope of patent collections among the PDLs and in their hours of service to the public, anyone contemplating use of the patents at a particular library is urged to contact that library, in advance, about its collection and hours in order to avert possible inconvenience.

Alabama Auburn University Libraries......................................................(205) 844-1747
Birmingham Public Library..................................................................(205) 226-3680
Alaska Anchorage Municipal Libraries.....................................................(907) 261-2916
Arizona Tempe: Noble Library, Arizona State University................................(602) 965-7607
Arkansas Little Rock: Arkansas State Library..............................................(501) 682-2053
California Los Angeles Public Library......................................................(213) 612-3273
Sacramento: California State Library........................................................(916) 322-4572
San Diego Public Library.....................................................................(619) 236-5813
Sunnyvale: Patent Information Clearinghouse.............................................(408) 730-7290
Colorado Denver Public Library.............................................................(303) 571-2347
Connecticut New Haven: Science Park Library............................................(203) 786-5447
Deleware Newark: University of Delaware Library.......................................(302) 451-2965
Dist. of Columbia Washington: Howard University Libraries...........................(202) 636-5060
Florida Fort Lauderdale: Broward County Main Library.................................(305) 357-7444
Miami-Dade Public Library...................................................................(305) 375-2665
Orlando: University of Central Florida Libraries...........................................(407) 275-2562
Georgia Atlanta: Price Gilbert Memorial Library, Georgia Institute of Technology...(404) 894-4508
Idaho Moscow: University of Idaho Library..............................................(208) 885-6235
Illinois Chicago Public Library..............................................................(312) 269-2865
Springfield: Illinois State Library............................................................(217) 782-5430
Indiana Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library...................................... (317) 269-1741
Iowa Des Moines: State Library of Iowa................................................... (515) 281-4118
Kentucky Louisville Free Public Library................................................... (502) 561-8617
Louisiana Baton Rouge: Troy H. Middleton Library, Louisiana State University.....(504) 388-2570
Maryland College Park: Engineering and Physical Sciences Library,Univ.of Maryland (301) 454-3037
Massachusetts Amherst: Physical Sciences Library, University of Massachusetts....(413) 545-1370
Boston Public Library............................................................ (617) 536-5400 Ext. 265
Michigan Ann Arbor: Engineering Transportation Library, University of Michigan... (313) 764-7494
Detroit Public Library......................................................................... (313) 833-1450
Minnesota Minneapolis Public Library and Information Center........................... (612) 372-6570
Missouri Kansas City: Linda Hall Library................................................... (816) 363-4600
St. Louis Public Library........................................................... (314) 241-2288 Ext. 376
Montana Butte: Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology Library....... (406) 496-4281
Nebraska Lincoln: Engineering Library, University of Nebraska-Lincoln............ (402) 472-3411
Nevada Reno: University of Nevada-Reno Library...................................... (702) 784-6579
New Hampshire Durham: University of New Hampshire Library..................... (603) 862-1777
New Jersey Newark Public Library........................................................ (201) 733-7782
Piscataway: Library of Science and Medicine, Rutgers University..................... (201) 932-2895
New Mexico Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Library........................(505) 277-4412
New York Albany: New York State Library............................................... (518) 473-4636
Buffalo and Erie County Public Library.................................................... (716) 858-7101
New York Public Library (The Research Libraries)....................................... (212) 714-8529
North Carolina Raleigh: D.H. Hill Library, North Carolina State University.......... (919) 737-3280
Ohio Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Public Library of................................. (513) 369-6936
Cleveland Public Library...................................................................... (216) 623-2870
Columbus: Ohio State University Libraries................................................. (614) 292-6175
Toledo/Lucas County Public Library.........................................................(419) 259-5212
Oklahoma Stillwater: Oklahoma State University Library................................. (405) 744-7086
Oregon Salem: Oregon State University..................................................... (503) 378-4239
Pennsylvania Philadelphis, The Free Library of........................................... (215) 686-5331
Pittsburgh, Carnegie Library of.............................................................. (412) 622-3138
University Park: Pattee Library, Pennsylvania State Univ................................ (814) 865-4861
Rhode Island Providence Public Library.................................................... (402) 455-8027
South Carolina Charleston: Medical University of South Carolina Library............. (901) 725-8876
Nashville: Vanderbilt University Library.................................................... (615) 322-2775
Texas Austin: McKinney Engineering Library, University of Texas at Austin......... (512) 471-1610
College Station: Sterling C. Evans Library, Texas A & M University.................. (409) 845-2551
Dallas Public Library.......................................................................... (214) 670-1468
Houston: The Fondren Library, Rice University..............................(713) 572-8101 Ext. 2587
Utah Salt Lake City: Marriot Library, University of Utah............................... (801) 581-8394
Virginia Richmond: Virginia Commonwealth University Library.......................(804) 367-1104
Washington Seattle: Engineering Library, University of Washington................. (206) 543-0740
Wisconsin Madison: Kurt F. Wendt Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison... (608) 262-6845
Milwaukee Public Library................................................................... (414) 278-3247