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Going Postal #atozchallenge

April 19, 2017 Claire Annette Noland 4 Comments

P is for Postcards and Postal Stamps

At one time, it was a common practice for people to buy postcards, write notes, add stamps, and drop them in the mail. We now communicate more with Instagram posts but it is still nice to get a card in the mail.

There is a thriving community of people who send and collect postcards. I belong to a group called Postcrossings. People share real postcards (not electronic) with others worldwide. It is always a treat to open my mailbox and find a card.

The hobby of collecting and studying postcards is called Deltiology. Vintage cards are very valuable and collectors often focus on certain types of cards as they build their collects. One such category is cards featuring libraries. Libraries were at one time considered landmarks of a town or city and were often featured on postcards. Today, unfortunately,  libraries are not as highly regarded as in years past. Take a look back in time when people corresponded with library postcards.

An early bookmobile -1906

 

Livermore, California

 

Library Humor

 

Stevens Point, WI Carnegie Library

the reverse side:

 

UC Berkeley

 

Stanford University Library after the SF Earthquake

A Prison Library (don’t you wonder what is written on the back?)

During World War I, the American Library Association made sure that soldiers had access to books in their camps across the United States.

 

Book Mobile Wagon – Midland County Michigan

And, don’t forget the stamps that featured libraries, librarians, library benefactors (Bibliophilately)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are interested in seeing more and learning about library postcards and stamps, visit Library History Buff which is an amazing site that promotes the appreciation, enjoyment, and preservation of library history.

I discovered a wonderful site thanks to the A to Z Blog Challenge which features postcards and all things snail mail. I suggest you head straight over to Mail Adventures to see what Eva is blogging about.

Have you ever sent postcards?

 

 

Filed Under: Blogging A to Z, Library Love Tagged With: Library Postage Stamps, Library Postcards

Previous Post: « OVERDUE! #atozblogchallenge
Next Post: Quotes to remind us why libraries are so important #atozchallenge »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hilary Melton-Butcher says

    April 20, 2017 at 7:05 am

    Hi Claire – I still send letters and postcards … I used them to good effect when my was in a Nursing Centre for her last years … I would write out to family and friends and ‘elicit’ cards back for her – which kept her in the loop of life. Loved these and I was fascinated when I visited Haddington in Scotland (East Lothian) that Revd Gray in 1688 had started a library! … cheers – writing out is so important, as too reading … lovely to read thank you – Hilary

    http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/q-is-for-quirky-quizzy-facts-and-quaggas.html

    Reply
    • Hilary Melton-Butcher says

      April 20, 2017 at 7:05 am

      meant to have mother in there!

      Reply
  2. Eva says

    April 20, 2017 at 9:47 am

    Needless to say that this is my favourite post so far…:D

    (I’m absolutely flattered by your words!)

    —–
    Eva – Mail Adventures

    Reply
  3. Eva says

    April 20, 2017 at 11:25 am

    I forgot to show you my (still) small album of libraries (and bookshops) on postcards:
    https://get.google.com/albumarchive/108189801195027432974/album/AF1QipMq5yGLrbSCRQs8o6tKCJXCAtZnqyjXBLq3Uhi-

    (Does the link work?)

    Reply

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Hello. I’m Claire Annette - reader, writer, teacher, and field trip planner extraordinaire. Here at A Field Trip Life you will find ideas for adventures large and small and the kids’ books that inspire them. Sign your permission slip. Let's go!

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