The OSU Valley Library is sponsoring a Book Collecting Contest!
Sponsored in association with the Himes & Duniway Society, a group of book collecting enthusiasts in Oregon, this contest is meant
- to encourage students in the collection and enjoyment of their own personal libraries,
- to develop an appreciation for the special qualities of printed or illustrated works, and
- to read, research, and preserve these works for pleasure and scholarship.
The collection can focus on any subject, and the contest is open to all full-time students.
Prizes:
Three prizes will be awarded to student winners:
1st prize: $1,000
2nd prize: $500
3rd prize: $250
Prizes are generously funded by the Himes & Duniway Society.
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE Friday, March 14, 2014 by 5:00 PM.
How Do I Enter?
The Application Package should include the following:
- The application form;
- The essay which should be at least two and no more than four pages in 12-point type with lines double-spaced describing how and why the collection was assembled;
- A bibliography of the collection preferably using the MLA Bibliography format with each individual title numbered and annotated. The annotations should reflect the importance of each item to the collection as a whole
- An annotated wish list of up to five other book titles that you would like to add in the future to complete or enhance your existing collection; and
- digital images of items in the collection including at least five with ten or more representative books being preferable.
You can submit your application in one of two ways:
1. Email your application package to Anne Bahde at anne.bahde@oregonstate.edu
2. Drop off your application package to the Special Collections and Archives Research Center, 5th floor of Valley Library.
What’s a “Collection?”
A collection
- Consists of items that a student has come to own following a particular interest, or passion, which may be academic or not
- May consist of all books or a combination of books and other formats. For instance, a collection on a geographical topic may include a map, a collection on a playwright may include a poster or playbill, or a collection about an historical event may include ephemera.
- Consists of not less than 15 items or more than 30 items of which the majority should be books, but related materials such as photographs, illustrations, maps, ephemera, CDs, music scores, posters etc. may be included.
- Can be on any topic; subjects can be contemporary or historical and may stress bibliographical features such as bindings, printing processes, type, editions, illustrations, etc. Rare books are not expected. Comic books and graphic novels are acceptable; ephemera alone if of historical interest is acceptable; historical–not current–textbooks may be included.
Example Topics:
- Vampires
- Comic books or graphic novels
- Jane Austen
- The Beat Poets
Previous Sample Entries:
An Interdisciplinary Survey of 20th Century Propaganda – Andrew Fink
Words of the Waves: A Nautical Collection – Emily Selinger
How To Be Alone – Mack Sullivan
How Do I Win?
Criteria for selection:
- Clearly state the purpose or unified theme of the collection;
- Explain the extent to which the collection represents the stated purpose;
- Evidence of creativity in building the collection;
- Originality, innovation, and uniqueness;
- Quality of the collector’s essay describing the collection
A team of judges from campus and The Himes & Duniway Society will determine the contest winners.
The Fine Print:
Students are limited to one entry. The student must be a full time student and the sole owner of the collection. The winners may be eligible for entry into The National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest supported by the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA), the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies (FABS) of which The Himes & Duniway Society is a member, the Center for the Book and the Rare Books and Special Collections Division (the Library of Congress) with major support from the Jay I. Kislak Foundation. http://hq.abaa.org/books/antiquarian/abaapages/contest
If you have questions about book collecting or this contest, contact Anne Bahde at anne.bahde@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-2083.