“Endless Possibilities,” created by local artist Ash Rudolph and chosen in an online vote to adorn Richmond Public Library merchandise. (Image courtesy Richmond Public Library)
Word is getting out about the power of a library card.
The number of Richmond Public Library cardholders rose from 115,000 in 2023 to 131,128 in 2024. That growth, which includes beating an annual goal of 1,000 new cards, can be attributed to RPL’s Library Card Sign-up Month campaign each September, says Outreach Manager Jennifer Deuell.
Efforts to achieve the goals of the national outreach effort, first organized in 1987 by the American Library Association, include sending Richmond Public Schools elementary students home with card registration handouts and appearing at Stony Point Fashion Park’s Touch-a-Truck event and the Hull Street Festival.
Plus, there will soon be merch.
In September, the library asked patrons to choose between one of two designs by local illustrator Ash Rudolph that will appear on T-shirts, tote bags, mugs and more. “I drew from my childhood awe of libraries as much as possible for the designs, that feeling that you could discover anything in them,” she says.
The items will be sold through an online shop that opened this month. All profits will directly support the library system’s programs. RPL Director Scott Firestine plans on collaborating with a different Richmond-based artist each year to refresh the designs.
The end goal, Firestine says, is to put what he calls the most powerful piece of plastic into the wallets of not just Richmond residents, but also those in 13 surrounding cities and counties.
“Library cards don’t just grant people access to books; they can take you anywhere you dream of,” Firestine says, noting that cardholders also stream music and movies and access tutors, electronics, craft workshops, museum passes and career guidance. “We’re invested in making lifelong learning an opportunity for our community.”
