In continuing our celebration of National Library week and this year’s theme of “There’s More to the Story”, each member of the APRL staff was asked to write about what that phrase meant to them and the APRL.
Our second submission comes from Marsha Garman, APRL Reference Assistant. Marsha has been with us for over three years assisting patrons with their research requests, tackling some of the most challenging and detailed requests we receive in the library. Marsha’s librarianship spans over 25 years having worked in public, academic and now special libraries such as the APRL.
Her own thoughts on this year’s theme led her to looking back on her exceptional career and looking ahead to what’s “more to the story” here at the APRL.
“National Library Week is here and emails have been popping up on my PC, reminding me of the importance of libraries and asking for my support in various ways. That set off a spark of nostalgia, causing me to reflect on my over twenty-five year career as a librarian and the many libraries I’ve worked in over the years.”
I chose to become a librarian because I am naturally curious and enjoy seeking out answers and background information on many subjects.
“As a librarian I imagined myself helping a diverse population of people find the resources they need to make them more knowledgeable and successful in their endeavors. For the most part, this vision has been fulfilled, but never so much as through my work at the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL).”
“I have worked at both public and academic libraries, but the APRL is my first experience in a special library, not to mention my first exposure to philately (i.e. the term “special library” refers to libraries that are focused on a specialized subject like philately as in the case of the APRL).”
Although these three types of libraries all have similarities: patrons seeking knowledge and resources for their project, need, or curiosity, philatelists are the most focused and curious I have ever encountered.
“In a public library, patrons would often ask me for a book recommendation, help with a job search, or maybe getting started on a genealogy search. Seldom were they seeking to drill down on a specific subject. A typical genealogy search may go so far as to finding a name for the ship their ancestor immigrated on, but not likely would they want to know the route, the time of departure and arrival, and how many passengers were on the ship.”
But when it comes to a ship cover for a philatelist, they want to know it all!
“For most of my career, I worked in academic libraries, some quite prestigious, and one would think this is where a librarian would be required to do some real research. Not necessarily. Often, I encountered very stressed students just needing to complete a paper and being grateful for any help I could offer in finding resources. But there was also genuine research being conducted by patrons who knew how to use the library and could find the best resources. For them, my help was more focused on where they could find a specific resource, particularly if it was not held by our library.”
Special libraries like the APRL tend to be scattered more widely than public and academic libraries, often making it difficult for a patron to do their research onsite.
"This presents two challenges for a librarian such as myself. One is the sheer number of research requests received, and two, the level of research required. At the APRL I am quite amazed at the number and continuity of research requests that we receive. They never stop!”
Philatelists are very engaged in finding the history of a stamp, cover, printing process, stamp dealer, or fellow philatelist.
“Most of our patrons contact us remotely, therefore I often do some of their research for them. For me, this can be a catch-22, in a good way. I often end up devoting more time on research requests because a) the patron is passionate about their subject; b) they are not able to access certain resources due to logistics; and c) I find the search intriguing.”
I want our patrons to be successful; I want them to continue to use the library; and I want the collective knowledge in the field of philately to grow.
“Finally, many special libraries like the APRL depend on their users for support to fund new book purchases, computers, supplies, digitizing, not to mention salaries. With National Library Week now upon us, please consider supporting your library in whatever way you can!”