As announced in the 3rd quarter issue of the Philatelic Literature Review, we are instituting some major changes for the journal in 2025. Here’s what you need to know.

Two issues per year

The PLR has been struggling to remain self-sustaining for years at its current publication schedule, and has cost more to produce than it makes in subscriber or advertiser dollars. Not only that, but our subscriber base has fallen, as has our advertiser base. We have several very dedicated authors, but otherwise, engagement in the PLR remains low.

These are the major difficulties that motivated us to take a hard look at potential solutions. However, there were positive motivations as well.

We know that the PLR has an important role in the hobby as a vehicle to share knowledge and resources that would not necessarily have a place in many other publications. We know that our core base of subscribers is highly committed to the success of the PLR and of the American Philatelic Research Library. And we know that, given the right circumstances, we could revitalize the PLR in terms of design, color, and further curated content.

Our motivations thus laid out, we reached out to printers for quotes. Reducing the frequency to twice a year naturally allowed us to cut a significant portion of the usual costs – enough that we are able to subsequently dramatically increase the quality of the journal itself – 8.5 by 11 inches size; a sturdy cover; high quality paper with glossy pages; and an increased page count per issue. The quality of the journal will be that of a keepsake.

The PLR’s new publication schedule is April and October.

As mentioned, we are also working to make the quality of the journal’s contents as high caliber as possible. As such, we are instituting some new series to appear in every issue, ones that will engage experts and readers on a high level, as well as bring some new faces to our pages. Of course, we will continue to publish articles as we usually do. Information on the planned series follow:

Roundtables

At Great American Stamp Show 2024, the APS and APRL hosted a roundtable on the topic of Born-Digital Preservation, excerpts of which were then published in the 3rd quarter Philatelic Literature Review. That event, and the subsequent conversations – and activity – that have resulted, are the blueprint we will be using for future Philatelic Literature Review roundtables.

What will roundtables involve?

We plan to host in-person, virtual-only, and written-only roundtables on important research areas and hobby topics. Depending on the interest and availability of roundtable participants, some roundtables may be a combination of in-person, virtual, and written, just like the Born-Digital Preservation event was.

The goal is to bring in a wide variety of perspectives on different topics. For example, if our Born-Digital events have the result of action taken by the American Philatelic Research Library and other organizations towards policies and preservation plans, then we can consider the events a success.

We will be seeking volunteers to participate in several upcoming roundtable events. Our planned events for the next year or two are the following:

Peer Review

• Inviting editors and organizations that conduct peer review on philatelic books and articles to discuss their process, philosophies, and challenges.

Born-Digital Preservation Roundtable Part 2 (possibly to be held in-person at Great American Stamp Show).

• Continuing the conversation from the first roundtable, and bringing an international perspective.

Creating a Catalog

• Inviting catalog editors and authors to discuss their process, philosophies, and challenges in maintaining or creating useful catalogs, big or small.

Book Publishing

• Discussing the world of philatelic book publishing today, both from the author and the publisher perspective, and offering advice to hopeful authors.

If any of these concepts speak to you, whether as a potential participant or because you have a perspective that we should consider as we put together the roundtable discussion questions, please let us know, PLRarticle@stamps.org or (814) 933-3803 ext. 207. We are also open to suggestions for future roundtable topics.

Annotated Bibliographies

Annotated bibliographies are not new to the pages of the Philatelic Literature Review; however, they will now be published in every issue. We are looking for authors who can tell us about the top 10 to 15 resources in different categories for a specific specialized area. For example, if the specialized area is, say, maximum cards, then we would want the author’s recommendation of the top 10 books; catalogs; articles; online resources; archival collections; or other resources that are available. Of course, then we want to know why.

Some questions that the bibliography should answer include:

• Is this resource useful for beginners or is it intended for a more expert audience?
• Is this useful for a particular area of the specialty, but less so for other areas?
• How does the resource advance the reader’s understanding of the field?
• Does this resource correct other, older records?
• What should readers be aware of when they approach this resource?
• Is this resource generally available or more difficult to access?

If you would like to write an annotated bibliography for the PLR, or suggest a collecting area that could use one, please let us know, PLRarticle@stamps.org or (814) 933-3803 ext. 207.

Libraries

The PLR typically has a wide variety of information about philatelic libraries and archives. The revamped PLR will be no different. We plan to publish updates from the APRL and Robert A. Mason Digital Library; continue publishing regular updates from our philatelic partner libraries; and articles relevant to the challenges and projects of philatelic libraries.

Book Reviews

There are many books published every year that we don’t currently review in the PLR, and many that we don’t even receive copies of to include in the APRL’s shelves. In 2025, we are refreshing our book review system, with a goal of reviewing all of the books published in the year, and adding all of those books to the APRL for future readers to access. (We are also planning to purchase and review many books published in recent years as well that had not previously been reviewed.)

For this mission, we will need several kinds of help.

What books are being published? If you or your organization are publishing a book or catalog, a journal, or even a web resource, please let us know (PLRarticle@stamps.org) and consider sending the APRL a copy as a donation. The APRL must have a copy of the resource for us to consider publishing a review.

1. Books. We will review books related to the hobby, whether traditionally published or self-published. Books published in the last five years that have not already been reviewed in the PLR are eligible.
2. Journals. We will be happy to review one or two issues of a journal, especially one that is a)new, or b)undergone significant changes in content or editorial direction.
3. Catalogs. New editions of catalogs are eligible for review; publishers wishing for a review should indicate the major changes from previous editions.
4. Web resources. A philatelic website may be eligible for review. Please contact Susanna Mills if you would like to suggest one.
5. Articles. Philatelic articles may be eligible for review – please contact Susanna Mills (PLRarticle@stamps.org) if you would like to suggest one.

We need a crew of potential reviewers. I have some folks who have already contacted me to communicate their interest, and some others who are already regular reviewers. If you have any interest at all in conducting reviews for the PLR, please contact me and share your areas of expertise. An expertise in writing, editing, reviewing, or general knowledge is acceptable! Several books that we receive do not require specific expertise to review.

Book review requirements. Book reviews should include the following information: Title [and translation of title to English, if necessary]. Author(s). Editor(s) [if available]. Specifications, including size, page count, language, edition. Date/year of publication. Publisher. ISBN [if available]. Purchasing information [price, shipping, contact information, website as available].

Literature Review. To the best of the reviewer’s ability, they should share some insights into previous literature on this topic, previous editions, or other details related to existing knowledge. This will help the reader understand the book’s purpose and what it might bring to the table, in terms of furthering philatelic knowledge.

Contents. Describe the contents of the book with details as necessary. What does each chapter cover?

Illustrations. Is the book visually appealing and/or offer useful illustrations?

Sources. How does the author document their research, and are the bibliography/footnotes/resources useful, organized, and easy to reference?

Organization. Is the book well organized and logically laid out? If you needed to find a specific reference or topic, could you do so easily?

Purpose. Who is the book intended for, and does the author successfully target this audience? What is the author’s goal, and do they achieve it? How does it fit into the literature and does it add to the hobby’s compiled understanding of the topic?

Recommendation. Would you recommend this book to others, or would you recommend some aspects of the book to others? What are the overall positives and negatives of the book?

Examples. The reviewer, if possible, should illustrate their points with example scans from the book.

Clearinghouse

The Clearinghouse is the place for subscribers to sell individual books, or publish want-lists for books to add to their collection. One problem with moving to a twice-yearly publication schedule is that we’ve removed two opportunities for people to buy or sell books. Our solution is two-fold: to increase the limit for individual sellers in the print PLR; and to offer additional opportunities to buy and sell via the new APRL newsletter (published six times per year). Please visit the Clearinghouse webpage for full details about the new Clearinghouse rules.

APRL Newsletter

The PLR as a quarterly publication was a tricky vehicle to relate news or timely information. The PLR as a bi-yearly publication will certainly not improve on this front. Therefore, we will be staying in contact with you and with anyone else who is interested in the APRL with an e-newsletter, distributed every other month.

The newsletter will include the most recent news from the APRL and the Robert A. Mason Digital Library. New acquisitions to the APRL will be included. Timely information from the APRL’s partner libraries will be published. The newsletter will include used book sales, Clearinghouse items, and special deals. We will share invitations for specific library or research events, or invitations to write specific articles. And finally, we will regularly include columns written by APRL staff and volunteers about resources that you should know about. Sign up for the APRL newsletter and other APS newsletters here: https://aps.buzz/NewsletterSignup. The first edition will be published in January.

Advertising

There are advertising opportunities in the PLR and in the new APRL newsletter. Ad sizes and specifications will be updated soon, and the new details will be found at www.stamps.org/services/advertising. Or, contact your FOX representative or Steve Schwanz at 800-440-0231 x114 or email adinfo.theamericanphilatelist@foxrep.com, subject line “PLR.”