As the Austin Public Library approaches its 100th anniversary, Austinites have the chance to help choose the next library card design.
The library has opened public voting for its Centennial Library Card Art Contest after receiving more than 100 submissions from artists across three age groups: children, teens and adults. There are five finalists in each age category.
Voting is open through July 31, and one winning design will be selected from each category. The new cards will be released in September as part of National Library Card Sign-up Month.
The contest is one of several events planned as part of the library’s centennial celebration, commemorating 100 years of service since 1926. It’s the library’s first public art contest since 2000.
Current cards feature a simple and straightforward design.
The finalists’ designs showcase a variety of artistic styles inspired by the centennial milestone. The children’s designs feature birthday themes like cakes, candles and festive characters in party hats. Many teen submissions took a more futuristic and abstract approach, imagining what libraries could look like in the years ahead. Adult finalists drew inspiration from Central Texas, incorporating local wildlife and recognizable Austin imagery.
Residents can cast one vote in each of the three age range categories through July 31.