Kid Collects 3,500 Library Cards

I've interviewed a lot of interesting collectors. Today's profile is one on the most interesting. It features a 15-year-old collector of Library cards. Corey's collection includes more than 3,500 library cards. In the following interview he talks about how he assembled such an impressive collection of ephemera.

ephemera: How did you become interested in library cards?

Corey: It started about eight years ago, when I was seven years old. I had always liked to go into libraries and just ask to look at their library card, just to see the design. When I was up visiting family in Washington State, and went to their local library up there and asked to look at the card. They offered it to me as a sample to keep. It pretty much took off from there. Today, I am sitting at around 3,500 cards.

ephemera: 3,500 library cards! That'll make a lot of librarians happy to hear. Did you begin consciously, knowing what you would collect, or did you just one day discover what you were doing?

Corey: I think I started off getting a few more from the area of Whidbey Island, and Skagit County, WA (where my family is), and then my grandpa, who has since passed on, started emailing libraries explaining my collection and asking for samples to be sent to my address. I think it was after I received that first one of the emails in the mail, that I sort of realized that I was starting to collect them for real.

ephemera: My grandpa helped me to assemble a world-class beer can collection when I was a kid. That's one of the great memories I have of him. I built an amazing collection thanks to him. What challenges or obstacles do you encounter as a collector? How do you overcome these challenges?

Corey: A lot of libraries won't give me a library card for various reasons, could be the cost of the card, they might think I'm a fake (as most of the cards I've collected have been obtained through email), or have residency requirements that can't allow them to give me a card. When that happens, you just have to accept it and move on. However most librarians are more than happy to comply. It's always fun to walk into a library and ask for a card, most haven't heard of library card collecting!

ephemera: What are your favorite items in the collection? Do you have a crowning jewel or show stopper in your collection? If so, what is it?

Corey: My favorite card in my collection is from the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. It was given to me by California Senator Dianne Feinstein. Way back when I first started collecting, I (still being a little kid), sent a letter to the President (back then it was Bill Clinton if that gives you an idea!) asking for a White House library card. The letter was forwarded to my Senator (Feinstein), and she sent me a very nice letter explaining the White House doesn't have library cards, but sent me a Library of Congress card with my name and signature on it.

ephemera: That's a great story about the Library of Congress card. Besides a lot of energy and cleverness in finding cards, what resources would do you recommend to someone interested in starting a library card collection?

Corey: Since there might only be a handful of library card collectors in the world, there aren't really any media materials on the hobby. I can, however, recommend using the plastic baseball card pages that hold nine cards at a time, and using 3-ring binders. I, myself, am currently using five of those binders for my own collection.

ephemera: Well, we can consider this to be the first resource on the hobby. You're making history by providing this information--the first of its kind on this type of collecting. One day, you might write the book on the subject. For now, thanks for taking time to tell my readers about your great collection.

For more details about trading cards, read my ephemera card guide.