It’s Library Card Sign-up Month and Orange County Library System is celebrating with a new card design
This September, OCLS launched a new card designed by Kelly Williams. After 10 years at OCLS, Kelly has made her mark with design and illustration projects for the library. With this new card illustration, Kelly took her first love, watercolor, and combined it with her passion for nature to create a dreamy landscape scene. The up-close perspective of the nature scene was influenced by designs from Studio Ghibli. The card features three Florida pollinators and five Florida flowers to highlight the beauty of Florida’s diverse environment.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Nicknamed “Tiny Dynamo,” the Ruby Throated Hummingbird is most known for its iridescent ruby throat that shines a bright red when highlighted by the Florida sunrays. Weighing less than a paperclip, this Florida pollinator is a master of flight and can reach up to 60 miles per hour in all directions- even upside-down for short distances! Although they are the smallest known animal with a backbone, these spirited birds can travel nonstop round trip from Orlando to Miami, giving the Brightline a real run for its money.
Ladybug
The smallest Florida pollinator featured on the new card is the lucky Ladybug. Whether you’re in metro Orlando or the deep swamp of the Everglades, you can easily find a ladybug hiding in a bush or log. It is even one of about 25 species of Arthropods that have been flown up into space! So, one of those rockets you see launching from the Kennedy Space Center may have had a ladybug aboard. These tiny insects can make a big impact on Florida’s local agriculture by eating insects and pollinating plants. One ladybug can eat up to 5,000 insects in its lifetime!
Red Admiral Butterfly
Commonly found in gardens, the Red Admiral Butterfly is the most popular butterfly sighted in urban landscapes. Balanced delicately on the pink petals, the Red Admiral Butterfly is seen drinking nectar from a Coneflower on the new card design. Florida’s heat and moist atmosphere brews perfect conditions for the Red Admiral to lay its greenish colored eggs.
The “non-negotiable” Bumblebee
Throughout the process of choosing what species to include on the design, some creepy-crawly critters and leggy insects did not make the cut. However, Kelly did have one creature she just couldn’t let fly away. Although the bumblebee is not a native Florida pollinator, Kelly advocated for its inclusion as part of her “non-negotiables” list for the illustrations design. Comically buried in the pistil of a pink Zinnia, the bumblebee’s faceplant is Kelly’s favorite part of her design.
Florida Flowers
In addition to the Florida pollinators featured on the new library card are an array of flowers commonly found in Florida habitats. You can find multicolored Zinnias, blue Water Forget-Me-Nots, pink Coneflowers, red Standing Cypress, and white Cosmos throughout the illustration.
If you want this whimsical card for yourself, it is now available at all OCLS branches while supplies last. Already have a card? Don’t worry, you can add the Florida Pollinators design to your library card collection without changing your account number or exchanging your current card. Simply pop-in to the library and ask for this special edition card.
