Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

FELT PEN, PERMANENT MARKER

Date

1980

Materials

PLASTIC, FELT

No. Pieces

2

Length

14.0

Width

2.0

Diameter

6.5

Description

RED FELT MARKER IS A PLASTIC, ROUND MARKER. IT HAS A FLAT BOTTOM WHICH ALLOWS IT TO STAND UPRIGHT. THE BOTTOM IS HOLLOW, ALLOWING THE CAP TO BE PLACED IN IT WHILE PEN IS BEING USED. THE LABEL ON THE FELT MARKER STATES " EL MARKO PERMANENT MARKER BY FLAIR; NOT INTENDED AS A LAUNDRY MARKER; MARKS MOST ANYTHING; MADE IN U.S.A.". "1980" STICKER HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE MARKER.

Subjects

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION T&E

Historical Association

EDUCATION

History

THE FELT PENS WERE PURCHASED BY LETHBRIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT #51 UNDER A LIBRARY SUPPLIES REQUISITION. THEY WERE USED TO MARK CARDS FOR THE LIBRARY CARD CATALOGUE. A GREEN BAND INDICATED AUDIO MATERIALS, SUCH AS TAPES AND RECORDS, BLUE BAND WAS USED FOR SMALL AND LARGE PICTURES, RED MARKED FILMSTRIPS, YELLOW WAS USED FOR MAPS, AND ORANGE INDICATED SUBJECTS IN THE VERTICAL FILES WHICH WERE MADE UP OF NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE CLIPPINGS. THE FELT PENS WERE EXTREMELY GOOD QUALITY, BEING LONG LASTING AND ODORLESS. THEY WERE SO GOOD THAT THE COMPANY EVENTUALLY STOPPED MAKING THEM AS THE PENS LASTED TOO LONG. DURING THE LATE 1980'S, THE SCHOOL BOARD COULD NOT FIND A SUPPLIER FOR THESE TYPE OF FELT PENS. THE DONOR MARKED THE PENS WITH THE YEAR THE PENS ARRIVED IN THE LIBRARY, SO THAT THE OLDEST PENS WERE USED FIRST. AT THE TIME OF DONATION, THE PENS WERE STILL WRITING, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ALMOST 20 YEARS OLD. AN ORANGE FELT PEN WAS NOT PART OF THE DONATION. *** INFORMATION BELOW PROVIDED BY DONOR AT THE REQUEST OF THE GALT IN 2010. "BEFORE COMPUTERS, LIBRARIES HAD A 'CARD CATALOG' WHICH INFORMED PATRONS WHERE INFORMATION COULD BE FOUND. A SINGLE BOOK COULD HAVE AS MANY AS TEN CARDS. CARD CATALOGS TOOK A LOT OF SPACE. SCHOOL LIBRARIES HELD FILMSTRIPS, RECORDS, TAPES, PICTURES, AND CLIPPINGS. PATERSON SCHOOL HAD ONE OF THE LARGEST LIBRARIES IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AS STUDENTS INCLUDED ELEMENTARY AS WELL AS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL. FELT PENS WERE ORDERED EACH YEAR AS IT WAS EXPECTED THEY WOULD DRY UP AND NOT BE USEFUL FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. EL MARKO BRAND PENS WERE VERY LONG LASTING. WHEN WE RECEIVED A NEW SHIPMENT I WOULD PUT A LABEL ON THE PENS SAYING WHAT YEAR THEY WERE PURCHASED. WE FOUND THEY WERE NOT DRYING UP LIKE OTHER BRANDS. EVENTUALLY WE WERE UNABLE TO OBTAIN THIS BRAND. WHEN I LEFT THE LIBRARY IN 1988 I TOOK SOME OF THE OLDEST PENS HOME AS WE HAD TOO MANY ON HAND. THE ONES I REMOVED ARE STILL WRITING 20 YEARS LATER." ***

Catalogue Number

P20000031004

Acquisition Date

2000-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail