I’ll just preface this piece by saying that public libraries have always been a personal haven for me. They were always a great place to just unwind, discover new worlds and expand my knowledge. But I also acknowledge that kids these days are bombarded with many more ways to escape reality, from phones to surfing the internet and much more. So perhaps they need a little more incentive to head to their public library. Well, Marvel and the New York Public Library system have teamed up to give them just that!
As of October 11th, you’ll be able to get a limited edition Spider-Man library card at several library branches in NY. It debuts just in time for the New York Comic Con, and also honors the 60th anniversary of the iconic hero’s first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15. And it’s honestly a collaboration that makes perfect sense, since Peter Parker was always as much of an intellectual as a super hero. He constantly had to research to find ways to stop his rogues’ gallery of villains.
For the card itself, here’s some key information:
“Images of Spider-Man—alongside Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy, two other iconic web-slingers—will be featured on the card, as well as on upcoming banners outside the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building and the windows of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL), exciting patrons of all ages to tap into the unique power of reading, comics, and libraries to discover their inner super hero.”
The Spider-Man library card follows in the footsteps of other cards issued for The Snowy Day and embodies the Knowledge Is Power campaign. Its goal is to help New Yorkers reach their full potential by tapping into the many resources found in the NYPL. Better yet, it marks the one-year anniversary of NYPL’s initiative to remove fines from their cards, and thus remove barriers in accessing knowledge for New Yorkers.
In fact, here’s some more details about the move:
“This historic move was even a plot point in Marvel Comics’ Amazing Spider-Man #900, released on July 27. In a special story written by Daniel Kibblesmith, drawn by David Lopez, and colored by Nathan Fairbairn, Peter Parker returns a large stack of overdue books to the Library after learning of the elimination of late fines. Readers can check out Amazing Spider-Man #900 in a special bonus release on Marvel Unlimited, Marvel’s premier digital comics subscription service.”
Here’s some information to close things out. The launch of the Spider-Man library card comes on Open House week. Fans can get it on a first come, first served basis at branches in the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island. There will also be several special programs curated by NYPL staff. So what are you waiting for? Go find a teen in your life and teach them to love learning at your public library.
