Treasure 28: Patents for inventions - Abridgments of specifications

Historic Document

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This month we are delighted to welcome the visit of the PATLIB (Patent Library) UK Annual General Meeting to Aberdeen. The meeting is taking place for the first time in Scotland. The PATLIB UK network consists of 15 libraries & information centres, including Aberdeen City Libraries, which provide an intellectual property information service at a local level to the local business community and members of the public.

Aberdeen Central Library has a long and proud history of providing access to and information on patents and other intellectual property related subject areas. The Reading Room of the new Central Library building opened in 1892 on Rosemount Viaduct was situated on the ground floor. A floor plan of the Reading Room floor published in the 1892 'Manual for Readers' by the Librarian Alexander Robertson includes a 'Patents Room'.

The large print based collection of patent literature formerly held by Aberdeen City Libraries has long been dispersed. We have however retained our collection of volumes of British patent abridgements dating from 1619 - 1883 one of which is this volume published in 1882 containing abridgements of specifications on writing instruments and materials. The abridgements, dating from 1867 - 1876, include an abridgement of the above mentioned specification.

Back in 1871 when our patent specification example was sealed, there was little prospect of the 'happy day' occurring in July 1892 when Andrew Carnegie officially opened the new library building. Prior to 1892 attempts to establish a Public Library in the City had met with repeated failure. On the 4th July 1871, just a little after five months our patent specification was sealed at the end of January of the same year, at a Public Meeting of Householders, a resolution for the non-adoption of the Public Libraries Act in the City was unanimously adopted. It was not until 1884 that the Public Libraries Act would be adopted in Aberdeen.