Philatelic Literature & Research

National Library Week: Libraries = Communities for Sharing

One of the most important goals for any library including the American Philatelic Research Library is that of sharing our resources with our community of library users, in this case philatelic researchers. We do this first by making our resources accessible to those users through borrowing, photocopying, scanning and providing research. In conjunction with this type of resource sharing we also have a responsibility to share what we don’t need or require for our collection with the philatelic community.

National Library Week: Libraries = Tips from Our Community

Now that you’ve been introduced to the staff here at the American Philatelic Research Library, we thought as part of National Library Week we would next ask some of the staff to share what tips they could pass along to assist patrons and researchers to the APRL with our services and resources. In working with the resources every day and assisting patrons with their research, our staff have discovered some useful “tips of the trade” they would like to share with our philatelic “community.”

National Library Week: Libraries = Strong Communities of Staff

On this second full day of National Library Week, here at the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL) we now move our focus to the dedicated and resourceful people who make up our “community” as the staff of the APRL, those who serve the research and resource needs of our members and the global philatelic community. The APRL is staffed by three full-time personnel and two employees who split time in the library.

National Library Week: “Libraries = Strong Communities”

As part of an annual national commemoration honoring libraries and librarians, today begins a very special week here at the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL). The American Library Association (ALA), the world’s largest and oldest library organization, highlights this week (April 7-13) as time to reflect and pay tribute to the role that libraries and librarians play in the creation, cultivation and dissemination of knowledge, research and resources. First observed in 1958 and now in its 61^st year, this year’s theme for National Library Week is “Libraries = Strong Communities.” Here at the APRL we’ve taken this a step further coining the phrase “Libraries = Strong Philatelic Communities.”

Resource of the Month – Universal Postal Union Publications

This month’s highlighted resource is a series of documents housed in the Government Documents section on the first floor of the public space of the American Philatelic Research Library. By way of introduction to these important international resources, in 1863 the United States Postmaster General Montgomery Blair organized a conference in Paris to discuss the state and future of international postal relations. Delegates from 15 European and American countries met and succeeded in establishing a number of general principles governing international postal relations and services. But the scope and necessary authority of their decisions remained limited and they were not able to come to a consensus regarding an overarching and binding set of international postal agreements.

New Resources at the APRL, March 2019

Abacus Auctions. Bernie Manning’s Queensland postal history, the “Tamiami” Colonies postal history & postmarks: April 7, 2019 (Glen Waverley, Victoria, Australia: Abacus Auctions, 2019). [NS Manning, Bernie]

Afinsa Portugal. Especializado, Selos postais e marcas pre-adesivas Portugal, Acores, Madeira (Porto, Portugal: Afinsa Portugal ; Instituto de Expertizacao de Filatelia Portuguesa (INEXFIP), 2011). [G6690 .A1 A257s 2011]

Resource of the Month – Amrhein’s Philatelic Literature

As a librarian and bibliophile who has worked in a number of different libraries in the last 25 years, one of the things that has always been of keen interest to me in this profession is exploring the history of a particular subject through its literature. Philately, more so than many other hobbies, has a rich and extensive bibliographic history of notable publications, some of which even pre-date the formation of philatelic organizations such as the American Philatelic Society.

New Resources at the APRL, February 2019

Abacus Auctions. Abacus Auctions [auction house] (Glen Waverly, Victoria [Australia]: Abacus Auctions, [2018-2019]).[AUCTION Abacus]

Abacus Auctions. The Ginger Meggs scenic letter cards, Colin Riddell’s Cocos postal history, William Pate’s New Guinea postal history: March 3, 2019 (Glen Waverly, Victoria [Australia]: Abacus Auctions, 2019).[NS Meggs, Ginger]

Resource of the Month – Durland Plate Number Catalog

When first starting as a volunteer at the American Philatelic Research Library back in 2010 one of the first things that impressed me about our APS members and visiting researchers was the depth and scope of their philatelic research interests. Their research interests went far beyond just the collection of stamps and covers in a stamp album. Before working at the APRL I knew nothing of plate blocks or plate numbers as it pertained to the hobby. Often in that first year in the library when assisting on occasion with a research request, I would be asked by a visiting researcher to look up some particular bit of plate block data in what was simply referred to as “Durland’s.”

New Resources at the APRL, January 2019

Aloni, Zvi. The Alexander collection, Milestones in the postal history of the Holy Land (Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv ; The Alexander Museum of Postal History & Philately, 2008). [IP70068]

American Philatelic Research Library. Manual of philatelic headings used by the American Philatelic Research Library ([Bellefonte, Pennsylvania]: American Philatelic Research Library, [2018-]). [Online]