The American Philatelic Research Library (APRL), based in Bellefonte

Bellefonte, Pennsylvania

Bellefonte is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies about twelve miles northeast of State College and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, is the largest public philatelic library in the United States.

The library serves the needs of the members of the American Philatelic Society

American Philatelic Society

The American Philatelic Society is the largest nonprofit stamp collecting and organization of philately in the world, with almost 44,000 members from 110 countries...

(APS), with which it is closely affiliated and shares premises, the public and its own members.

Legal status

The library is a public library under Pennsylvania law and is registered with the United States Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Donations are treated as a charitable deduction for the purposes of United States Federal Income Tax.

Governance

The library is run by a nine member Board of Trustees. Each member serves for six years. Three members are elected by the American Philatelic Society membership, three are appointed by the President of the APS and three are elected by the Founders and Patrons of the APRL.

Journal

The library publishes a quarterly journal, the Philatelic Literature Review, which includes book reviews and other relevant content.

Further reading

"The APRL is hobby's greatest treasure trove" by Kathleen Wunderly

External links

• Official website
• Library catalog