Save the date: Global Entrepreneurship Week program Nov. 15–20

The University Libraries have planned a full program for Global Entrepreneurship Week, an annual event celebrated around the world, directed at students and community members interested in starting a business. For more information on GEW and details on how to sign up for sessions, visit the GEW website (the full schedule is listed on the website, including events not held in the University Libraries. For information on Libraries’ events related to GEW, contact Cheryl McCallips, cam42@psu.edu.

The sessions held in the University Libraries are as follows:

Monday, Nov. 16, 6-7 p.m., Foster Auditorium
Keynote address: “What Entrepreneurs need to know about intellectual property and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office,” by Jeanne Clark, patent examination policy advisor with the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. Clark has received numerous awards for excellence in her career and in the performance of official duties, and was recognized by the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) for Outstanding Contribution in Intellectual Property Law in 2012.

Monday, November 16, 302 Paterno Library
“Free Data!…Courtesy of Uncle Sam”
Librarian Jeff Knapp will introduce participants to methods for finding free demographic statistics and data that can help entrepreneurs locate their potential customers. Registration max is 34.

Tuesday, November 17, 9:30-10:30am, 302 Paterno Library
I want to sell to the Acme Corporation, where do I begin?
Learn how to find out about specific companies and the industries in which they operate. Presented by librarian Kevin Harwell. Registration max is 34.

Tuesday, November 17, 1-2pm, 302 Paterno Library
Financial Research
Financials are a key component of any entrepreneurial endeavor. Learn the research strategies and resources available to help you find financial benchmarks for your business. Presented by librarian Lauren Reiter. Registration max is 34.

Tuesday, November 17, 3-4:15 p.m., 140 W. Pattee Library (in the Knowledge Commons)
Basic Patents
This short, hands-on workshop by librarian John Meier will focus on understanding what patents are, the basic process of obtaining a patents and online searching of prior art (previous inventions). Attendees should have an interest in patents and be prepared to do practice searching in Google Patents and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Registration max is 40.

Wednesday, November 18, time TBA, 302 Paterno Library
Standards & Tech Reports for Inventors
Learn what standards are and how they can aid you in developing a product that meets industry specifications. Also learn about technical reports and how they provide guidance for technical literature searching for patent applications. Presented by librarian Angela Davis. Registration max is 34.

Thursday, November 19, 3-4:15pm, 140 W. Pattee Library (in the Knowledge Commons)
Advanced Patent Searching
This workshop will help inventors and entrepreneurs already familiar with patents to perform competitive intelligence, prior art searching (to find earlier inventions), and discover international patents. After a brief introduction to patents and the patent process, including international treaties, attendees will be guided in searching on the European Patent Office (EPO) website, the USPTO’s Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) public system, along with a brief overview of more powerful patent research tools. Presented by John Meier, . Registration max is 40.

Friday, November 20, 1:30-2:30pm, 302 Paterno Library
Marketing Resources
Consumer Behavior and Retail Market Trends. Learn which databases tap into the latest market analysis. Presented by Kevin Harwell. Registration max is 34.