A public vote will decide the design for the next Pierce County Library System’s library cards designed by local students. Pierce County residents may choose the winners by voting online here through Sat., July 6.

Nearly 1,000 students throughout Pierce County submitted designs during a free contest that began earlier this year. Their art included submissions using pencil, pen, paint, camera and computer.

“Every entry shined with creativity and a unique view of the student’s personal library story or perspective,” said Neel Parikh, executive director for Pierce County Library. “Now it is up to you to decide the design for our next library cards. The winning artists’ cards will be reproduced into 10,000 cards and available for free this fall during our card drive—pretty amazing exposure for a young artist!”

Professional artists reviewed entries and selected the following 20 finalists:

Grades K-6

Trinity Brown, Puyallup, Naches Trail Elementary School; Megan Cannon, Puyallup, Fruitland Elementary School; Hunter Erwin, Gig Harbor, Harbor Heights Elementary School; Claire Hughes, Gig Harbor, Harbor Heights Elementary School; Amanda LaVoie, Spanaway, Pioneer Valley Elementary School; Grayson Loupas, University Place, University Place Primary School; Josiah McGinnis, University Place, University Place Primary School; Ainsley Peterson, Gig Harbor, Harbor Heights Elementary School; Nolan Robison, Puyallup, Brouillet Elementary School; and Madison Schumacher, Tacoma, Brookdale Elementary School.

Grades 7-12

Kourtney Baxter, Bonney Lake, White River High School; Karly Dammel, Puyallup, Home School; Katie Howard, Lakewood, Steilacoom High School; Kelly Lavelle, Puyallup, Rogers High School;Janae Phelps, Tacoma, Cascade Christian Junior High School; Nashesha Rowberg, Puyallup, Stahl Junior High School; Isabel Shin, Puyallup, Mount Rainier Lutheran High School; Kazia Smith, Buckley, White River High School; Spencer and Gabriella Smith, Graham, Home School; and Paige Wilson, Buckley, White River High School.

The Library will announce the winning designs later this summer. A graphic designer will fashion the two winning designs — one from each grade category — into library cards that will be replicated into 10,000 cards. The student-designed cards will be available for free, in addition to other designs that the Library offers, during the Library’s seventh annual card drive this fall.