The Brooklyn Public Library has partnered with hometown icon Jay-Z and his entertainment agency, Roc Nation, on two major cultural collaborations. To mark the 30th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut album, Reasonable Doubt, BPL released the special “JAŸ-Z 30” limited-edition library card. Alongside the rollout, the Marcy Library branch in Bed-Stuy launched “JAŸ-Z’s Booklist”—a dedicated shelf featuring a curated list of books that heavily influenced the artist’s life and career.
The JAŸ-Z 30 Limited Edition Library Card follows the 2023 release of The Book of HOV library card collection, created in conjunction with The Book of HOV exhibition presented by Brooklyn Public Library and Roc Nation. The series featured 13 limited-edition cards highlighting artwork from JAŸ-Z’s studio albums, from Reasonable Doubt through 4:44.
The Book of HOV exhibition drew more than 600,000 visitors during its nearly five-month run at Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library, making it one of the most attended public exhibitions in the institution’s history. The exhibition’s final day welcomed nearly 11,000 visitors—the highest single-day attendance recorded at the library—and contributed to a 74 percent increase in attendance at Central Library during its run.
The exhibition also introduced thousands of new users to library services. More than 36,000 The Book of HOV library card accounts were created, contributing to a 66 percent increase in new accounts systemwide and a more than 300 percent increase at Central Library. Among the original card designs, The Black Album was the most requested, followed by The Blueprint.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.