Out of the shadows – patent services from the British Library

Discusses the factors that have contributed to the increased awareness and use of patents as sources of scientific and technical information. Examines the problems the growth in the number of patents has caused for traditional paper storage, the use of microform and CD‐ROM as solutions, and other patent services offered by the British Library. Concludes that the volume of patent documents has been a factor in the neglect of a valuable information source in the past, new services are helping disseminate the information more widely.