Library Catalog Cards
It's no secret that libraries have discarded card catalogs in great numbers and along with them millions of catalog cards. Many libraries have just dumped the cards, some have just used them for scratch cards for the public (such as the one above), but others have found more interesting uses for them.
The staff of the University of Iowa Libraries came up with a novel way of creating a memorial for their terminated card catalog. It is called cARTalog. Through this creative approach they distributed over 1 million catalog cards to people who came up with artistic ways of using them.
See a quilt featuring images of catalog cards from the Feed Dog Blog.
The
Friends of the Library for the Royal Oak (MI) Public Library sent discarded
catalog cards to the the authors of books represented by the catalog cards and
asked them to sign and return the cards. They were then auctioned on eBay.
This card is signed by Sara Parentsky.
See Sue Lawton's artwork on the back of catalog cards.
Remembrance of Catalog Cards Past (Laureen
Riedezel)
http://www.nebraskalibraries.org/nlaquarterly/2002-4-Riedesel.htm
The
Princeton (NJ) Public Library has a wall on which hundreds of tiles created by
the public are arranged to create a highly unusual artwork. Among the
items is a group of catalog cards fastened to a tile.
Heidi Holerman's Museum of Cataloging and Acquisitions
Artifacts contains examples of catalog cards and information on how they
were created.
http://www.heidihoerman.com/museumca/index.html
For information on card catalog cabinets click here.
For a history of catalog cards and the card catalog click here.
A
sample catalog card included in a Gaylord Brothers supply catalog.