UMass Amherst Libraries

Like an earlier pack, British Political Images, produced by the Bodleian Libraries in 2010, and distributed to benefactors, donors and Friends of the Library, this pack, produced in 2016 by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Libraries, was similarly created in appreciation of the financial support of their donors. But unlike the Bodleian pack which displays images from its collections, this pack looks almost like an annual report – not dissimilar to the pack published by the Tulsa City-County Library System in 1983.

Each card illustrates one of the many ways the libraries fulfilled their mission in 2015 to support teaching, learning, research and community engagement. Details of activities, achievements and statistical data are provided on each card against different coloured backgrounds (black suits) and a white background (red suits). The Director of Libraries, Jay Schafer, appears of the king of hearts.

The main library is the W.E.B Du Bois library. This is a tall 28-storey building (see the card back), and on the roof is a falcons’ nest. For years, UMass Amherst has taken care of these falcons, and they have now become part of the community. This explains the fact that the two jokers are falcons wearing a jester’s cap.

Above: UMass Amherst Libraries playing cards produced by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Libraries, 2016.