American Philatelic Research Library

American Philatelic Research Library
source
Name	American Philatelic Research Library
Established	1968
Location	Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Type	Research library
Collection size	250,000+ items

American Philatelic Research Library The American Philatelic Research Library serves as a major repository for philatelic literature, catalogs, and archival materials supporting stamp collecting and postal history research. It operates in close association with national and international philatelic organizations and repositories, and it provides resources used by collectors, historians, curators, and scholars investigating postal issues, postal services, and related biographies. The library's holdings and programs intersect with institutions and figures prominent in United States Postal Service, Smithsonian Institution, Royal Philatelic Society London, American Philatelic Society, and international philatelic societies.

History

Founded in 1968 through efforts by members of the American Philatelic Society and supporters from regional stamp clubs such as the Chicago Philatelic Society and the Boston Philatelic Society, the library emerged to centralize philatelic literature previously dispersed among private collections and university special collections like those at the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library. Early benefactors included notable philatelists connected to the Collectors Club of New York and figures associated with the British Museum Philatelic Collections. Over decades the library expanded through donations from prominent collectors involved with the Royal Philatelic Society London, estates of philatelists who participated in exhibitions such as FIP World Stamp Championship events, and partnerships with postal administrations including Poste Italiane and Canada Post.

Collections and Holdings

The library's collections encompass monographs, journals, auction catalogs, and philatelic research papers relating to issues from the United States Postal Service, Royal Mail, Deutsche Post, La Poste, and other national postal authorities. Holdings include specialized works on classic issues linked to collectors like Philatelic Classics Society members and literature documenting major exhibits from organizations such as the American Philatelic Society National Postal Museum and world exhibitions like World Stamp Exhibition 2010. The library preserves biographies and correspondence of philatelists connected to names like John J. Britt, August Dietz, Stanley Gibbons authorship, and collections tied to blue-chip auction houses such as Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries and H.R. Harmer. It also holds thematic collections covering airmail issues related to Pan American Airways, wartime postal history for conflicts such as World War I and World War II, and revenue stamps tied to fiscal studies documented by researchers from the Royal Philatelic Society London and the Philatelic Society of India.

Services and Programs

The library provides interlibrary loan services mirroring practices at institutions like the Library of Congress and regional university libraries such as Penn State University and Indiana University Bloomington. Reference services support inquiries from curators at the National Postal Museum, academics publishing in journals like the Philatelic Literature Review, and independent researchers connected to societies including the American Philatelic Society and the Royal Philatelic Society London. Educational programs include seminars and workshops often presented alongside exhibitions organized by the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, guest lectures featuring authors associated with Stanley Gibbons publications, and internships modeled on collaborative projects with the Smithsonian Institution and the National Archives and Records Administration.

Facilities and Access

Housed near institutions such as Penn State University and municipal repositories in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, the library's reading rooms accommodate researchers following standards similar to those at the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library. Digitization initiatives have been undertaken in collaboration with partners like the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and university digitization programs at Ohio State University to provide online access to catalogs, periodicals, and select archival materials. Physical access policies align with practices used by the National Archives and Records Administration, and the library coordinates with postal museums including the Smithsonian National Postal Museum for loans and exhibit support.

Governance and Funding

Governance structures echo those of nonprofit cultural institutions such as the American Philatelic Society and the Smithsonian Institution affiliates, with a volunteer board drawn from philatelic organizations like the Collectors Club of New York and regional philatelic societies including the Chicago Philatelic Society. Funding sources include membership dues, endowments modeled on philanthropic arrangements similar to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and bequests from collectors, auction proceeds channeled through houses such as Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, and grants from cultural funders analogous to the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Special fundraising campaigns have mirrored efforts seen in campaigns by the Royal Philatelic Society London and national museum capital drives.

Collaboration and Outreach

The library collaborates with national and international partners including the American Philatelic Society, the Royal Philatelic Society London, the Smithsonian Institution, and postal administrations like United States Postal Service and Canada Post for exhibitions, research projects, and training programs. Outreach initiatives connect with educational institutions such as Penn State University and local historical societies in Centre County, Pennsylvania to promote philatelic literacy and support youth programs similar to those by the Girl Scouts of the USA and Boy Scouts of America when integrated with stamp-collecting merit activities. The library engages with auction houses, publishers like Stanley Gibbons, and collectors' clubs including the Collectors Club of New York to expand access to rare materials and to support provenance research used in major exhibits and publications.

Category:Philatelic libraries Category:Libraries in Pennsylvania