Anyone inclined to dismiss libraries as dull places lacking in spark or initiative might be surprised to discover the imagination that is transforming those humble administrative tools, library cards, into little works of folk art. On Tuesday, we featured some of the best designs to have emerged in London, from Hackney’s mural to the graffiti of Kensington and Chelsea. Our appeal to readers to prove that this wasn’t just a metropolitan pastime produced the following gems from the UK and the US. Leave your own examples on the Twitter hashtag #librarycards and we will add them to this column.
Whitby Public Library, in Ontario, Canada, offers a range of options:
One of three cards on offer from the UK’s Cumbria Libraries:
And finally, two late arrivals from London: