Please join us this Thursday, December 11, at 7 p.m. Eastern for a virtual Town Hall hosted by Executive Director Kirk Gillis. Kirk will discuss his plans for 2026 and beyond, and take your questions. 

Click the button below to register for the event via Zoom. We hope to see you there!

The APS is pleased to announce our new Director of Technology and Innovation, Stephanie Katz. Stephanie is an interdisciplinary thinker and strategist with a career spanning roles with the federal government, museums and cultural organizations, and a marketing agency serving Fortune 500 clients.

To read more about our newest team member, click the button below - welcome aboard, Stephanie!

David S. Ball has been named Chief Judge for the Polar Salon, replacing Hal Vogel, who recently passed away. He joins Serge Kahn, Alan Warren, and Alain Israel on the jury panel. He is Security Manager and Awards Chairman for Boston 2026; an accredited APS judge specializing in Astrophilately, Aerophilately, Polar, Holy Land, and postal history; and serves on the FIP commission for Astrophilately. David has written articles in several journals and authored American Astrophilately: The First Fifty Years. 

Have questions? Email us at tom.fortunato@boston2026.org.

Have some last minute stamp shopping to do for the holidays? We've got great news - APS StampStore is offering free shipping on orders over $75 this Friday, December 12, and Saturday, December 13! 

Thank you to everyone who reached out to let us know that they were experiencing difficulty accessing the Philatelic Union Catalog. Librarian Marian Mills is pleased to report that the issue has been addressed, and the catalog can now be accessed at the following URL: https://catalog.stamplibrary.org/final/portal.aspx

Please note: If you have any other URL bookmarked, it will no longer direct you to the catalog. You must update your bookmark with the new URL. 

And don't forget, the library is offering $5 off and free shipping for U.S. customers on used books when you spend $45 - but don't delay! This deal is only available until December 31.

The deadline to nominate your fellow philatelists for our annual Awards & Honors is December 15 - make sure to get your nominations in soon!

Last week, we heard from YPLF alum Audrey King about a workshop she conducted for a graduate school course. Audrey elected to focus on stamp collecting for the workshop, to great effect! Thank you to Audrey for sharing your story with us, and philately with your classmates.

Speaking of YPLF, applications are now open for the 2026-2027 Young Philatelic Leaders Fellowship cohort! Collectors aged 16 to 24 are encouraged to apply for this fellowship that connects the philatelic leaders of tomorrow with expert mentors in their chosen track. Applications will close on February 1, 2026.

And remember, APS members can still nominate a collector to participate in the program via the form linked below. The nomination period is open from now until January 15, 2026.

Have you renewed your APS membership for 2026? To guarantee uninterrupted services (including delivery of the AP), you must renew by December 31 - which means you have just three short weeks left!

You can pay your dues online through the MyAPS page of stamps.org, by returning the renewal form we recently mailed you, or over the phone with our membership team at 814-933-3803.