Lines around the block, long distance travelers, music, giveaways. No, it’s not a concert – it’s a library card sign-up event, and libraries across the country gave their communities a front row seat with two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist and children’s book author Laufey.
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, an annual initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) to mark the beginning of the school year, combat illiteracy, and encourage communities everywhere to explore all the offerings that a library card unlocks. Laufey is this year’s honorary chair, and to kick things off, she put a spotlight on public libraries during her annual A Very Laufey Day fan activation.
Dozens of libraries across the U.S., from Florida to Washington and from Louisiana to Minnesota, as well as libraries in Canada, the U.K. and Iceland, partnered with the Laufey Book Club and ALA to offer limited edition library cards to their communities. And the Lauvers showed up.
“The response was extraordinary,” said Alysha Long of Fullerton (CA) Public Library. “In approximately four hours, we issued 717 library cards, setting an all-time single-day record. Hundreds of fans of all ages attended, with the line extending around the adjacent City Hall building. The event also included a Very Laufey Craft Night, where fans decorated their own felt crowns.”
While library cards are free for a public library’s service population (for instance, the local municipality through which taxes pay for it), many libraries offer non-residents the opportunity to pay for a library card.
“Patrons loved it!” said Daniel Lichty of St. Joe County (IN) Public Library. “We even had patrons from other counties come and get paid guest cards just so they could get a Laufey card.”
And at Harris County Public Library in Houston, 2,000 cards were scooped up within two hours, with patrons traveling from as far as San Antonio – nearly 200 miles.
Some libraries also met their communities outside of their walls.
The Jersey City (NJ) Free Public Library kicked off their Laufey Book Club card sign-ups with an outdoor reading party at a “Pages in the Park” event in Van Vorst Park Plaza. The library has so far registered more than 800 Laufey Book Club library cards. Anderson Public Library in Indiana joined the Three C’s Fair at Anderson University, hosting a raffle for a Laufey READ poster. And the Rockbridge Regional Library System in Virginia hosted a music trivia night and library card sign-up event at Heliotrope Brewery in Lexington.
At the Laman Branch of the North Little Rock Public Library in Arkansas, teens and adults showed up for A Very Laufey Tea Party.
“We had tea and snacks, listened to Laufey, and made tiny book earrings,” said Susannah Stubbs, the library’s adult lead community educator. “We were able to showcase selections from our vinyl and CD collection to patrons, as well as our beautiful gallery space. Music and libraries really bring us together!”
Other libraries opened on a day they’d normally be closed.
“We opened the library on Sunday exclusively for this event, and the line to sign up for a library card extended all the way through our adult collection area and down the hallways to the children’s room,” said Abril Raya of Corona Public Library in California.
Like many of the others, the library broke single-day sign-up records. “Lauvers of all ages had the opportunity to obtain their special Laufey Book Club library cards, color, craft Mei Mei bunny ears, create paper crowns, and make Laufey beaded keychains,” said Raya.
The Faulkner County Library in Conway, AR, would normally be closed on Sundays, but staff decided to hold special pop-up hours on A Very Laufey Day to offer the collaborative cards. While they knew there was interest, they were not prepared to have more than 300 people visit the library in such a short time.
“We were dazzled and giddy to see cars slowly filling up our parking lot before our doors even opened,” said Ashley Clingan, the library’s marketing manager. “We played Laufey music, gave out free buttons, magnets, and bookmarks, and we had coffee that was donated by a local coffee shop.”
While libraries often host unique programs and limited-edition cards can be fun to collect, for many communities they’re a bridge to something bigger.
“This partnership means so much to our community,” said Clingan. “As a library in the Central Arkansas area, it’s often hard to experience niche-related hobbies, activities, music, and art compared to much larger states. Many patrons were thrilled that we were doing something like this because, as many of our patrons said, ‘you hardly ever see stuff like this happen in Arkansas.’”
The Faulkner County Library also broke single day sign-up records for library cards.
Become a Supporter
Did you snag a Laufey Book Club library card? See participating libraries on the A Very Laufey Day website, and stop into your library to sign up for a library card today!
Are you a library system interested in launching your own Laufey Book Club collab card? It’s not too late! Register your interest to receive the 6 Laufey Book Club design files and keep the Library Card Sign-up Month momentum going all year long!
