American Philatelic Research Library

The APRL has one of the world's largest and most accessible collections of philatelic literature. Its nearly three miles of shelving contain more thatn 23,000 book titles and 5,700 journal titles.
 
Search Our Catalog

Search Our Catalog

Search the David Straight Memorial Philatelic Union Catalog, hosted by the APRL, for your philatelic literature needs. 
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Watch a video tutorial

Watch a video tutorial

Watch the "APRL Basic Catalog Tutorial" for steps on how to find a book in the library catalog.
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Library collections

Library collections

A collection books and journals about stamps and postal history, the history of philately and related subjects like transportation and geography.
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Take a tour of the collections.

Take a tour of the collections.

Watch a video on the "Library Operations and Resources: A Tour of the Library and Archives."
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Library Services

Researchers are welcome to visit the library at the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte. For those who cannot travel to Bellefonte, the APRL offers photocopy and scanning services as well as reference assistance by phone and e-mail. APS and APRL members may borrow books directly by mail and non-members may borrow books through interlibrary loan. 

Subscribe to the Quarterly Journal

The APRL publishes a quarterly journal, the Philatelic Literature Review. View the current table of contents and on-line articles. This periodical contains indexes and bibliographies, reviews of current philatelic literature, publications in progress, news from the APRL, and “The Clearinghouse,” a forum for subscribers to list literature they want to buy or sell. The basic U.S. subscription is just $18 per year. Other membership levels are available; amounts exceeding the basic subscription fee help to defray the Library's operating costs and are tax deductible. Subscribe today!

Read the Blog

Keep up with the latest news in between issues of the journal by reading the APRL Blog.

Support the APRL

Learn more about how you can support the APRL and benefit from our tax-exempt status.

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AmeriStamp Expo

Mesa, Arizona | February 15-17, 2019