I’ve been caught up in the fever of collecting 13 Jay-Z library cards.

Brooklyn Public Library is giving to anyone who meets criteria like living in, working or going to school and paying taxes in New York State the chance to collect 13 Jay-Z library cards. Show valid ID and proof and you can collect the cards as souvenirs.

The front of each card features an image from a Jay-Z album cover. I’ve been caught up in the fever and have collected all 13 cards.

My favorite is–you guessed it–the one with the three red bars (like stripes!) from the Blueprint 3 album shown above. I’ve always been drawn to wearing stripes too.

Different cards are available at clusters of neighborhood library branches throughout Brooklyn.

The Book of HOV Jay-Z exhibit can be viewed for free at the Central Library in Brooklyn until October.

The Jay-Z library card promotion has been a way to bring people together who ordinarily wouldn’t interact with each other.

Brooklynites from Brownsville come to Bensonhurst to get one of the cards. Residents of Sunset Park go to East New York to get a limited-edition card.

The camaraderie has been contagious among folk on the hunt for all 13 cards.

In the end this restores my faith in humanity and in people coming together united for a common good.

See the design of each card on the Brooklyn Public Library website.

My goal is to return to posting blog entries here at least once per week.

Stay tuned.