The Brooklyn Public Library is getting a membership boost from Jay-Z, CNN reports.
The library system unveiled 13 new library cards featuring art from the superstar rapper’s albums, and they’ve become a hit with readers in the borough, sparking 14,000 new accounts from Brooklynites.
The cards, created in a partnership with Jay-Z’s entertainment agency Roc Nation, are part of the library’s celebration of the rapper, which kicked off last month with an exhibit at the library’s central branch in Prospect Heights. The exhibit, which was kept a secret from Jay-Z until it opened, features “thousands of archived objects, including original recording masters, never-before-seen photos, iconic stage wear, prestigious awards and recognitions, as well as videos and artifacts from every facet on Jay-Z’s professional life.”
New Yorkers interested in obtaining one of the new cards can do so at the central branch and at other branches throughout the borough. The cards are free for New York state residents, and the library is urging readers to collect all 13 designs.
Artist Chaz Barracks was one Jay-Z fan who took the library up on its offer. He told the New York Times that he took a five-hour bus trip to visit the borough to get a card.
“Jay-Z being a Brooklyn native, he goes hard for Brooklyn, and his fans go hard for him,” he said. “The card was worth it.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
