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This may not be the best place to ask this question. However, I've only ever
seen anime ones. I got an email from JList advertising _Sword Art Online_ and
I got a couple with a _Galaxy Angel_ Vol. 1 Limited Edition box.

To me, pencil boards just look like plastic cards which, when flipped around
(so everything is opposite), could be stuck to windows and allow light to
shine though, but I doubt that's what they are for. What exactly are these
pencil boards?


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merchandise
What exactly is a Pencil Board?


Pencil boards
([Shitajiki](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/lexicon.php?id=88)),
are used to place under a sheet of paper (or a pad) such that writing on the
paper won't indent the sheets underneath. The wiki page for
[Shitajiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shitajiki) says:

> Merchandised shitajiki are very common, featuring images of everything from
> tourist attractions to celebrities to anime and manga characters. Most
> shitajiki designs only go through one print run, making them very
> collectible and often difficult to acquire. Collecting shitajiki is a hobby
> for many anime and manga enthusiasts. As collectibles, shitajiki are also
> often used for decorating or other ornamental purposes.


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