TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Libraries is sponsoring a Book Collecting Contest for UA students this semester. The contest aims to promote reading and interest in book collecting.
“The contest is a wonderful way to recognize the many book collectors among our student community,” says librarian John Sandy.
The UA Libraries book-collecting contest will showcase the interests and changing book-collecting habits of students in the 21st century and may feature things like comics/manga and zines, as well as more traditional formats and subjects such as Alabama history.
In past years, UA contest winners have submitted collections on a wide range of subjects including southern politics, Greta Garbo and soccer books in America. A collection of books on Cinderella won a second-place prize in the undergraduate student category in the 2007 contest.
Collections are judged on six criteria:
- Book collections may be on any subject.
- A well-defined collection will be favored.
- Evidence of creativity in building the collection.
- Uniqueness or special flavor of the collection.
- Personal value or usefulness of the collection.
- Quality of the collector’s essay describing the collection.
Collections can be large or small. Entries will be judged in two groups — undergraduate students and graduate students — with the contest winners in each group receiving cash prizes of $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $100 for third. In addition, contest winners will receive a one-year membership in the Rotunda Library Society. Winning book collections will also be featured and put on display in Gorgas Library for two months following announcement of the winners.
Contest entry forms and rules can be picked up at Gorgas, Bruno, Rodgers, McLure or Hoole libraries or downloaded from the UA Libraries Web site at www.lib.ua.edu/mystuff. Deadline for entries is March 27.
Members of the UA Libraries faculty are organizing the contest, including Millie Jackson, associate dean for collections; John Sandy, head of the Rodgers Library for Science and Engineering; Clark Center, University archivist and curator for Southern History and Life Collections; and Jessica Lacher-Feldman, curator of rare books and Special Collections.
Book collecting contests are popular among students at Arizona State University and the University of Virginia, as well as many other colleges. Judging from participation in past UA contests, book collecting is a favorite activity of students at the Capstone too.
For more information, contact John Sandy at 205/348-2111 or send e-mail to John.Sandy@UA.edu.
Contact
Richard LeComte, UA Public Relations, 205/348-3782, rllecomte@advance.ua.edu
Source
John Sandy, 205/348-2111, John.Sandy@UA.edu