Library grand opening a success

On the morning of Saturday, October 29, hundreds of people poured into the American Philatelic Research Library for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new library space.

APRL Administrator Scott English introduced APRL President Roger Brody, APS President Mick Zais, local officials, including Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson, Centre County Commissioners Michael Pipe and Mark Higgins, Bellefonte Borough Council Vice President Randy Brachbill, followed by USPS Director of Stamp Services Mary-Anne Penner and former APS Executive Director Bob Lamb. The APRL and APS presidents cut the strip of postal labels to officially open the library. Watch the ceremony on YouTube.

Ambassador Robert E. Lamb, former APS executive director.

The festivities began the day before with a dinner held at the American Philatelic Center featuring an address by David Beech, former curator of the British Library’s philatelic collection. Watch David’s address on YouTube.

The weekend also featured a book fair, tours of the library and the American Philatelic Center, and ample opportunities to socialize, use the library’s state of the art research facilities, shop, and take in displays, including a 5-frame exhibit on loan from the Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History.

Library Grand Opening cacheted envelope.

The APS produced a cachet to commemorate the opening in a limited numbered printing of 100. Each cachet is autographed by the APRL president, administrator, and librarian, franked with a $2 Inverted Jenny stamp, and canceled with a Bellefonte pictorial cancel including the library’s logo. A limited number of these covers are available through the APS event souvenir shop.

Here are a couple of photographs from the event. Many more can be seen on the APS Facebook page by clicking on the photos tab.