Happy National Library Week! This week is all about celebrating libraries across the country, from the smallest special collection to the largest public library system – and, of course, philatelic research libraries. The theme for this year is Ready, Set, Library!, which seems fitting for a year of big changes at the APRL. We’ve readied a team, set goals, and now we’re excited to dig into what’s most important: the library. We invite you to visit us – whether in person in Bellefonte, via phone or email, or online through the Robert A. Mason Digital Library – to see what’s new.
Our library staff (clockwise from bottom left): Librarian Marian Mills, library assistant Cassidie Cain, reference assistant Nate Fenush, technical services manager Marsha Garman, and digital librarian Geoff Hobart.
Starting from the top, readers of The American Philatelist will know that I have now officially taken up the mantle of APRL librarian and APS director of information services. Between my predecessor, Scott Tiffney, and his, Tara Murray Grove, I have some incredibly talented shoes to fill, but I’m thrilled to have the chance to put my “stamp” on the library and make new and meaningful connections with our members.
Marsha Garman, formerly our reference assistant, will now be overseeing cataloging in the library as our technical services manager. If you visit us here in Bellefonte, be sure to drop by her new desk on the second floor of the library to say hello.
Digital librarian Geoff Hobart joined us full-time in January after previously working as a digital assistant. Geoff has been hard at work creating long-term plans for the digital library’s success, from upgrading our scanning suite to hammering out our digital preservation plan – more on what he’s been up to later this week.
We also have some new faces around the APRL. Some of you may have already met our newest staff members, Nate Fenush, our reference assistant, and Cassidie Cain, our library assistant. If you see them around the library or speak with them via email or over the phone, please be sure to take a moment to say hello and welcome to the APRL and the stamp collecting community.
Keep an eye out for articles, videos, and other fun stuff from the library this week, including a “library takeover” on the APS social media accounts. If you don’t want to miss out, make sure you’re subscribed to the APS weekly e-newsletter and following the APS on social media.
With our new team assembled and the support of APS and APRL members, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the library – and what successes we’ll be celebrating next National Library Week!
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