In the age of the Internet, online library catalogs and now social media very few of us can remember the days when libraries used card catalogs as the sole means of organizing and accessing information. The “digital library” has begun to replace the library of borrowing slips and index cards, but that doesn’t mean that those index cards and card catalogs still can’t have a place in today’s modern repositories. One such collection of invaluable index cards can be found at the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL), the collection known as the Piper Philatelic Index (PPI) or the Piper File for short.
Continue reading “Resource of the Month – Piper Philatelic Index”
Here in Central Pennsylvania we are fortunate to have such an active and enthusiastic community of students groups and organizations that express an interest in volunteering in the local region and more recently at the APS and the APRL. One of these student groups was here this weekend volunteering at the APS for the first time, the Penn State Hillel BKind student organization.
As National Library Week draws to a close with its message of “Libraries Lead”, we look at the global reach of the APRL for collectors and researchers from around the world. Much of the research and reference work done on a daily basis at the APRL is often performed for remote users and patrons, some here in the U.S., others internationally. In the age of the internet, email and social media, the ability to share and access the resources of the APRL has now become worldwide. Researchers regularly contact the library remotely for their research needs.
As part of a national celebration and recognition of libraries and librarians, today begins a very special week here at the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL). Sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), today marks the start of the 60