August 2018 - Sneak Peek

design, production, varieties and forgeries of the seminal
British series. As a true beginner to the issues the course was
a welcome introduction to the complexity and appeal of the
Machin issues. If you are interested in any of the upcoming
On-the-Road courses being offered, be sure to check the APS
website or contact the Education Department at either (814)
933-3803 ext. 239 or Education@stamps.org.
The Northwest Philatelic Library
Finally, on the Saturday of the Pipex show Orlie Trier,
volunteer librarian at the Northwest Philatelic Library (www.
nwpl.org), provided a guided tour of the library and the Oregon
Stamp Society building. Like Jeff Brigham and others at
the Spellman library, Orlie and his part-time volunteer staff
are a shining example of volunteer librarianship at its finest.
The library is the largest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest
and the home to over 5,300 philatelic research items and
more than 160 journal titles.
A Repair and Restoration Fund Proposal
In previous columns in The American Philatelist and the
Philatelic Literature Review as well as posts to the online library
blog (blog.stamplibrary.org) the extraordinary volunteer
work done by Kitty Wunderly, Ellen Peachy and Bill
Monsell was mentioned in reference to the repair work they
do on our well-worn books and materials in the library. It’s
the good fortune of any library collection that their materials
are well used and borrowed by their patrons regularly, but the
flip side of that leads to the need for their repair and restoration
on occasion. What started off as a part-time endeavor by
the three volunteers has now become a regular task. In the
first five months of 2018 alone, they have repaired well over
550 books restoring them and making them available again
to APS members for borrowing. Along with their volunteering,
items needed for repair are always in demand such as
archival mending tape for example. I would like to propose
the establishment of an APRL Repair and Restoration Fund
that would enable U.S. to purchase repair materials for the
volunteers as needed. If you have any comments or questions
about establishing the fund or are interested in contributing
to such a fund feel free to contact me at stiffney@stamps.org
or (814) 933-3803 ext. 246.
Naming Opportunities
From the start of the New Year several interested people
have contacted the library in regards to how they can assist
U.S. in some way with the services we provide and the continued
growth of the library and
its collection. In the past I’ve
mentioned how people can
and have volunteered in the
VOLUNTEER
WORK WEEK
July 16-20
library and the wonderful gift
of time and effort that those
who attend Volunteer Work
Week each year so generously
give to the APRL as well. Another
way in which to contribute
to the ongoing mission of the library comes in the form of
naming opportunities. Several interested donors have already
taken the opportunity to name a row of shelves, a particular
collection or a particular section or area in the library. These
donations are not only a wonderful way to contribute in a
meaningful way to the APRL but they also afford the donor a
great opportunity to honor or memorialize a loved one, a fellow
philatelist, a club or society. For more information about
naming opportunities in the library consult the APS website
(www.stamps.org/Library-Naming), or contact the library at
stiffney@stamps.org or 814-933-3803 ext. 246.
784 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / AUGUST 2018