On November 2 and 3 the American Philatelic Research Library celebrated the 50th anniversary of its incorporation with two days of special ceremonies, authors’ talks, unique exhibits from the APRL collection and much more. On October 28, 1968, due to the tireless efforts of APS President Edward Willard, the APRL was officially incorporated and became the new research home for the APS and the worldwide philatelic community. The authors talks (see below) given during the anniversary event highlighted the library’s role in the philatelic research of the past and the future.
One of the special events that took place as part of the Golden Anniversary Celebration was a series of authors’ talks presented throughout the day on Saturday, November 3, 2018. The idea beyond the talks is to highlight the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL) as the home of philatelic research and knowledge sharing. Topics for the talks were chosen by each of the invited speakers under the general theme of “the role libraries, like the APRL, play in philatelic research.”
Below are video presentations of a few of these author talks. Please feel free to enjoy and share these informative sessions with friends and fellow researchers.
Charles Epting, a former APS Young Philatelic Leaders Fellow and current President/CEO of H.R. Harmer Auctions, presents his talk on the rich and storied history of the prestigious H.R. Harmer auction house. His talk titled “The First Family of Philately: A Century of Harmer Auctions” examines the unique history of the Harmer family and their significant contribution to the world of philately.
Tasos Kalfas, a former APS Young Philatelic Leaders Fellow currently working for the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, presents a talk focusing on the future of philatelic research and the new role libraries will play as part of this change. Titled “The Future of Philatelic Research: Bridging the Gap Between Researchers and the Libraries that Serve Them” Tasos explores the future of philatelic research in the digital age as the digitization of information continues to make library resources more accessible around the globe.
Photos from the APRL Golden Anniversary Celebration by Mara Hartzell.
Researchers are welcome to visit the library at the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte. For those who cannot travel to Bellefonte, the APRL offers reference assistance by phone and e-mail including:
Learn more about how you can support the APRL and benefit from our tax-exempt status.
The APRL maintains a growing library of materials that are directly available online. Access to these journals and publications is a benefit of membership in either the APS or the APRL. If you are a member, you can login and access the digital library here. For more information about membership, click here.