Panel Discussion Write-Up: The Ideal Evolution of Archival and Digitalization Directions for Philately Internationally
International Philatelic Librarian Panel Discussion
Write-up by Harold Krische
For more on the host of this event, the Collaboration Crew, please visit their Facebook Page.
“A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessaries of life.” Henry Ward Beecher (1862)
Well over 150 years have elapsed since that poignant statement was pronounced. Societies’ rapid technological innovation and quest for efficient access to knowledge, documentation and research, help to underscore the realities of Beecher’s statement for today’s world. With respect to Philately, it can easily be argued that philatelic libraries are the foundational cornerstone of the hobby and its continued development. The faster our world changes, the more essential solid foundations become! Challenges of preserving philatelic knowledge and creating efficient access to information requires a proactive visionary mission that must involve collaboration and requires comprehensive supports.
Such reflection was the basis for the Collaboration Crew opening the new Fall season of philately with a panel discussion around the directions of philatelic libraries. The question put before panel members for consideration was: “What does the ideal evolution for archival and digitalization directions for philately look like and, what will it take to get us there”.
The panel brought together three key leaders of international philatelic libraries and one person from outside the philatelic domain with expertise on AI as it relates to archival initiatives and analysis.
Marian Mills, head librarian and director of information services at the American Philatelic Society (APS), opened the discussion by highlighting the need to review past digitalization practices so that we can learn from their successes and challenges. Marian stressed the importance of improving metadata and collaborating with international libraries to digitize and preserve resources that are currently difficult to access. Efforts to ensure metadata standardization across libraries was cited as being instrumental in facilitating the kind of collaboration that is essential. Marian shared APS efforts to improve search functionality, especially for PDF items within the library. She highlighted efforts to implement AI solutions improvements with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to enhance text and image searchability.
Several common threads of focus quickly became apparent with the presentation of Baasil Wilder, librarian of the Smithsonian Postal Museum. Bassil focused on three types of digitalization. The importance of ‘digital description’ that ensures visibility and the capacity to recognize location and availability. Baasil went on to emphasize the need for attention to ‘digital preservation’, noting that many audio-visual materials are deteriorating rapidly and require ongoing maintenance considerations. He shared numerous directions that the Smithsonian has taken in these areas including technology upgrades. Basil continued with emphasis upon the importance of ‘digital enrichment’ with quality metadata to ensure that searchability can be maximized. He underscored the importance of collaborative efforts across libraries to ensure quality digitization efforts continue to evolve.
The library manager for the Harry Sutherland Philatelic Library working with the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation in Toronto was the next speaker. Natalie Mitchell discussed the institution’s approach to digitizing archival resources and out-of-print journals to improve access for researchers across Canada. Emphasis was placed upon the importance of using existing platforms like Internet Archive and contributing to resources like the Global Philatelic Library such that wider audiences, including those outside of philately, can be reached. Natalie discussed the ongoing maintenance required for digital collections and shared examples of successful collaboration efforts to preserve digital and physical materials. This included the preservation of significant private philatelic websites and hosting them in a static manner. It quickly became apparent that such efforts benefit from the ability of a philatelic library to nurture and maintain relationships with the owners of key collections and websites.
The fourth panelist, Edgar Barroso, is the founder of Horizons Architecture, an advanced research and AI development company that supports institutions tackling complex challenges. He presented a prototype developed during the 2026 UPU’s Innovation Challenge that explored how AI could transform the use of the Universal Postal Union’s archives. The prototype demonstrated how AI agents could analyze decision-making patterns across congresses and create visual narratives from historical documents. Barroso described an approach that gives individual documents “agency”, enabling them to connect and communicate with one another and with human users through ontologies of semantic proximity and other computational techniques.
A vibrant open discussion ensued with some questions and comments from those joining the session. Comments underscored the value of collaboration among libraries and philatelic organizations to efficiently manage resources and support researchers and philatelists with their quest to access information. The panel addressed the role of libraries in navigating misinformation in the digital age and the importance of establishing relationships with collectors and societies to ensure the practical stewardship of valuable resources including philatelic exhibits. The group deliberated efforts to avoid duplication of work across different libraries and organizations, with suggestions for regular meetings and enhanced communication to share initiatives, resources and tools.
Our philatelic librarians have a vital role in the positive evolution of philately, and we are fortunate that many of them fully recognize the possibilities that exist and can contribute to the vision required to attain such potential. Within days of the September 2026 panel discussion, efforts were undertaken amongst the librarians for further planning related to digitization matters. These directions warrant the full support of our philatelic community.