On Friday, January 13, a truck from Canada arrived in Bellefonte with 114 boxes containing philatelic journals and auction catalogs for the APRL’s collection. Its journey from Ontario to Pennsylvania was just the last part of a happy story of international library cooperation.
In the summer of 2016, Helen Apouchtine of the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) contacted the APRL to inquire whether we would be interested in receiving materials that were being removed from their collections.
As she described it:
Over the years, LAC’s collection policy has evolved and we are now focused on acquiring titles published in Canada, by Canadian authors if published abroad or if there is substantial Canadian content.
Attached is a list of over 900 major philatelic serials issued by numerous foreign publishers. Many are long runs, some beginning in the late 1800s or early 1900s.
She was referred to us by staff at the Harry Sutherland Library at the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation, one of our partners in the David Straight Memorial Philatelic Union Catalog. The list included issues of many diverse titles that will fill in some gaps in the APRL’s runs of foreign and domestic journals, such as Postas Argentinas (Buenos Aires), L’Annonce timbrologique (Liege, Belgium, 1890-1909) and Avion Constellation (Paris, 1948-1949).
As they proceeded with packing the journal material needed by the APRL, LAC also offered a list of material from nearly 700 auction houses. From this list, APRL will be able to add some missing auctions, many from companies in the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth, such as Cavendish Philatelic Auctions, Cornish Stamp Company, and Treasure Hunters Ltd. (Hong Kong).
Hi Tara,
My name is Herb Colling, editor of The Canadian Philatelis, and I’m working on a story about the LAC donation. I already have quotes from Sheila Moll at the Greene, but I was wondering if Helen could also flesh out the story by providing a few quotes: what does the APRL do, and provide; what the donation will give them that they didn’t have before, and why is it important to have old auction calendars, and things like that. I was hoping, as well, to have pictures of the donation, perhaps similar to the ones you have here in your blog. I hope you can help. Unfortunately, my deadline is asap as I’m hoping to hit the March April edition, which is in production now. I appreciate any help you may provide, and thank you in advance.