Theme: Our Stories, Our Communities
In celebration of Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries’ 75th anniversary, we invite you to help tell our story — through art.
The theme “Our Stories, Our Communities” invites artists to reflect on how libraries connect, inspire, and celebrate the people and experiences that make up our region. What does community mean to you? How has your library made a difference?
Whether you’re a professional artist, a student, or someone who just loves to create, this is your chance to showcase your talent and see your artwork featured on a limited-edition FVRLibraries card — shared across the region this fall.
The Library Card Design Competition is open to all ages and celebrates creativity, diversity, and community voices.
To participate, you must meet one of the following:
- Live within the FVRLibraries district service area, which includes:
- Most of Clark County (except the City of Camas)
- Skamania and Klickitat Counties
- The Yale Valley Library District
- The City of Woodland, WA
- Cowlitz County residents who live outside the district may enter if they are eligible to purchase a nonresident FVRLibraries card.
(You don’t need to have the card yet, but if your design is selected, you must meet nonresident account requirements or pay the standard fee to receive your card.)
Can I enter if I live in Camas, Portland, or another nearby area that qualifies for a reciprocal library card?
Unfortunately, no. Reciprocal cardholders — including those from Camas, Portland, Hood River, and other partner library systems — have access to many shared resources, but their local tax dollars support their home libraries, not FVRLibraries. Because this contest is funded by the FVRLibraries district, reciprocal users are not eligible to enter.
We value our reciprocal partnerships and invite you to celebrate the winning designs when they launch this fall!
Use this address lookup tool to find out.
Once you enter your address, scroll down to the Electoral Data section. If you see "Library District: Fort Vancouver Regional Library," you’re in the district and eligible to participate!
Entry Details & Submission Process
Eligibility
The Library Card Design Competition is open to individuals of all ages, emphasizing our commitment to inclusivity and diversity in the arts community.
- Open to residents of the FVRLibraries service area, (including Clark except Camas, Skamania, and Klickitat Counties, Yale Valley library district, and Woodland, WA).
- Cowlitz County residents who live outside of the District may enter; however, if their artwork is selected and they wish to receive a library card featuring their design, they must currently have a nonresident account and adhere to our nonresident account policies or pay the standard nonresident account fee to establish an account. These fees and policies can be found on our website.
- Entrants do not need a current FVRLibraries card to participate.
- FVRL employees are welcome to participate in the competition as patrons if submissions are created on their own time and without using FVRL equipment or resources. Staff entries will be judged alongside all others, with no preferential treatment.
What’s Permitted
- Original Artwork Only: All designs must be created by the person submitting them and cannot include or be based on pre-existing characters, logos, or intellectual property (i.e., no fan art or derivative works).
- Accepted Media: Submissions can be in any artistic medium (e.g., drawing, painting, photography, digital design, etc.) but must be submitted digitally for final review.
- Design Specifications:
- The final artwork must be formatted as a .jpg or .png at 300 dpi. You may submit an editable PDF if you’re working in Adobe Illustrator.
- The design should be twice as big as a standard library card size.
- The total is 7.25” wide by 4.75“ high in inches, including the .25” bleed on each side that will be cropped off after printing.
- It is 2175px wide by 1425px high in pixels, including the 75px bleed on each side that will be cropped off.
What's Not Permitted
- Artwork containing offensive, political, or inappropriate content.
- Designs with copyrighted materials (e.g., logos, licensed characters).
- Multiple submissions per person (one design per artist).
- This limit applies even when costs for staffing, materials, and technology rise faster than 1%.
Timeline
- Deadline for Submissions: June 30, 2025
- Selection Process: Early to mid-July 2025
- Final Design Announcement: Late July 2025
- Library Card Designs Issued: September 2025
Submission Guidelines
- Only one design can be submitted
- Submit your design in a high-resolution digital format: .jpg or .png at 300 dpi. Files should be less than 15 MB in size.
- If you are selected as a finalist, FVRLibraries may require you to submit an additional file.
- Ensure your artwork includes a .25 inch/ 75px bleed area for proper printing.
- Ensure any text or key elements are at least .5/150px inch from the edge.
- Complete the online submission form and include a brief artist statement (up to 100 words) describing your inspiration and how your design reflects the theme “Our Stories, Our Community.”
Judging Criteria
- A panel of judges, including library staff, community members, and local artists, will review submissions based on:
- Creativity and Originality
- Relevance to the Theme
- Visual Impact and Design Appeal
Ownership & Permissions
By submitting artwork, participants agree to the following:
- All submitted artwork becomes the property of Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries for use in library card production and promotional materials.
- FVRLibraries reserves the right to modify, edit, or adjust all designs to meet printing and branding needs.
- The library may use submitted artwork for marketing, promotions, and public displays, including but not limited to the website, social media, printed materials, and in-library exhibits.
- Participants waive any future claims to rights, usage, or royalties related to their submitted artwork by entering.
- Artists whose work is selected for promotional materials and card production will be credited whenever possible. For example, the artist’s name will be printed on the back of the card unless they request otherwise.