In addition to the items already noted, I would nominate :
"Guide to Official Industrial Property Publications"
3rd. edition updated by Stephen van Dulken.
London : British Library Board, 1992.
0-7123-0792-5.
An excellent compilation for major countries showing publication sequences
and documentation.
"Guide to Patent Expiries"
2nd. edition just released
London : Derwent Information 1996.
"Patent Information from Chemical Abstracts Service - coverage and content"
Columbus, OH : ACS, 1991.
Good review of selection and indexing policy.
"Introduction to Patents Information"
2nd. edition.
Stephen van Dulken (ed.)
London : British Library Board 1992
0-7123-0790-7
"Online patents, trade marks and service marks databases"
4th. edition
Jim Sibley (ed.)
London : Aslib, 1991
0-85142-289-6
The host and database producers' newsletters are of course essential
reading. You may also need one or more language dictionaries covering
technical vocabulary ; I don't know of many specialising in the patent area,
but there is an acceptable German one :
"Worterbuch der Patentpraxis" [Dictionary of patent practice]
3rd. edition
J-D. von Uexkull ; H.J. Reich (eds.)
Koln : Carl Heymanns Verlag KG, 1983
3-452-19322-5
Stephen Adams
Zeneca Agrochemicals
stephen.s.r.adams@gbjha.zeneca.com