Lisa Williams was one of the wittiest people I met at SXSW this year. I have been enjoying her weblog since then. Here is my favorite post so far:

• Learning The Lessons of Nixon » Happiness is a fresh clean library card

I still have my original library card.

I was in the fifth grade when I got it (ten years old). My name was printed in clear letters on the signature line, “Laura Lund.” I can tell it was fifth grade because I had changed over to the more formal style “a”, but I hadn’t learned how to write it easily yet. It’s funny how personal archaeology works.

The blue dot means that I can check out books at the Salt Lake City Library System as well as the county libraries. I use the Salt Lake County Libraries much more than the city system because their website is so darned convenient. I can look up books, DVDs and music online, put it on hold and the system will call my cell phone when they are at the library waiting for me. I hardly ever just peruse my local branch anymore. A visit to the library has become a quick run in, grab my items from the hold shelf and a check out.

I love this old card because it’s so easy to spot among the plethora of client loyalty cards that I am now required to cart around. Their new cards are plain, blue and white atrocities that look like a health insurance card. They are completely unremarkable and easily forgettable. I’ll keep my bright yellow card, even though it’s over 25 years old, for as long as they let me.