The Book of HOV
Brooklyn Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
The Book of HOV exhibition at Brooklyn Public Library, created in collaboration with Roc Nation, drew hundreds of thousands of visitors to celebrate Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter’s legacy. The installation reconnected Brooklynites with their library, and one another, inspiring a sense of community. As part of the exhibition, BPL and Roc Nation launched 13 limited-edition library cards, each featuring iconic JAY-Z album art, distributed across BPL’s 61 locations. This encouraged patrons to explore various branches, including those in underserved neighborhoods and underutilized branches. Over 600,000 visitors visited Central Library, with hundreds traveling across Brooklyn to collect all 13 cards. More than 115,000 Book of HOV cards were issued to over 63,000 patrons, nearly 40,000 of whom were new accounts, marking one of the Library's most successful collaborations to date. This initiative significantly increased library awareness and highlighted the library’s role as a community hub.
Challenge/Opportunity
With over 2.6 million residents, Brooklyn is an incredibly diverse borough, and BPL aims to curate collections and programming that reflect the stories of our neighborhoods. The grand Central Library can feel intimidating to some, but the exhibition was fully accessible — no appointment or ticket needed — and enabled everyone, regardless of background or financial circumstance, to come learn about JAY-Z’s life and find inspiration of their own. The Book of HOV signaled to all patrons that their stories belonged at the library and that they belonged at the library. Visitors found the words of a local poet proudly displayed on the Library’s façade; words that represented the often-overlooked stories of so many in the borough and challenged visitors to write a better future. Through this initiative, BPL issued over 10,000 new or updated library cards in Brooklyn’s lowest-income neighborhoods, demonstrating the library's commitment to inclusivity and community engagement.
Key Elements of Innovation
In partnership with Roc Nation, Brooklyn Public Library hosted a large-scale exhibition featuring never-before-seen images, art and ephemera from JAY-Z’s archives, providing an unparalleled look at the life and career of a local legend. This free, immersive experience was one of the only installations of its scope to be housed in an active public space. The exhibition included a collection of books and vinyl from JAY-Z’s personal libraries and 13 limited-edition Book of HOV library cards, each featuring art from an iconic JAY-Z album —from Reasonable Doubt to 4:44. Visitors explored the extensive exhibition, spinning records and roaming through the library stacks for the first time in years. Many had never been to Brooklyn Public Library and thousands soon became regular patrons.
Achieved Outcomes
During the exhibition’s five-month run, more than 600,000 people — from Brooklyn, around the nation and across the world — visited Central Library, a 74% increase from the year prior. And hundreds of visitors traversed across Brooklyn, stepping into neighborhoods they had never seen, to collect all 13 limited-edition library cards. We distributed more than 115,000 Book of HOV cards to over 63,000 patrons. Of those 63,000, nearly 40,000 were newly created accounts, an increase of over 350%. These new patrons soon began discovering all the Library has to offer — from multilingual storytimes and robotics programs to entrepreneurship workshops and a vinyl record collection, and of course books of all genres reflecting stories of all backgrounds.
