The Everett Public Libraries are excited to announce the arrival of our new, limited edition library cards! These designs are the results of the Library Card Design Contest held at the end of 2024. All final designs were decided by community vote!
After the cards arrived, we had the honor of interviewing each of the winners. Here is what they had to say about the experience, and what inspired them in designing their cards:
Grace Jackson, winner of the Youth Category, has lived in Everett her entire life and was excited to hear about the Library Card Design Contest. She told us her “fifth grade teacher Mrs. Russel, who is now an art teacher, came up and said ‘Grace, I know you like drawing, there’s a cool contest that the library is doing’…I ended up taking home the paper and finishing it overnight!” In creating her design, Grace says “I picked up drawing a couple years ago, and I love it…I like to use markers, pencils, and paint.” Grace used colored pencils to create her illuminated bookshelf of the Everett Public Libraries.
Angela Su was the winner of the Teen Category of the Library Card Design Contest, and is a frequent visitor of the Everett Public Libraries. Angela has been doing digital art since middle school and shared with us an interesting fact about her artwork: “I drew it all on my phone!” She offered to share the speed-painting of her completing her design, which you can view on the libraries’ website to get a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process. Pictured on the card are colorful images of a group of individuals near the water fountain in Everett Square; Angela says, “Everett is such a diverse community. I wanted to include every type of person.” As for her artistic endeavors, Angela has a big goal: “I want to illustrate a children’s book one day… I think this was a trial to see what kind of art style I want to do with it.”
Graziela Flor-Fanjul, the Adult Category winner, created a lovely rendition of the Kathleen A. Donnelly Reading Room at the Parlin Memorial Library to be featured on her design. The room was dedicated in 2024 in honor of a former Everett resident who generously bequeathed a significant financial gift to the Everett Public Libraries at her passing. In Graziela’s depiction of the room, sitting in the cozy chairs, you will see the likeness of her and her partner, and even their dog on the front cover of the book pictured in the design!
Want to get your own limited edition card? Hurry to the library to choose from any of our new designs while they last! NOTE: Even if you already have a library card, you can exchange your old one for any of the new designs.
BONUS: Watch out teen winner, Angela, create her winning design below!