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Archives and Special Collections

McConnell Library Archives and Special Collections presents the

Winesett Book Collecting Contest

Previous Winners of the Winesett Book Collecting Contest

 

Neil Gaiman's Book Collection

The personal book collection of Neil Gaiman, author
of The Sandman, Coraline, American Gods, Stardust,
The Graveyard Book, and many other works.

Do you like to read? Do you collect books on topics you like? If so, you could win $400 in McConnell Library's third annual Winesett Book Collecting Contest -- just for showing off your book collection!

Featuring two prizes - a $400 First Prize and a $300 Second Prize - the Winesett Book Collecting Contest encourages and celebrates reading and book collecting by Radford University students by providing them with an opportunity to discuss and showcase their personal book collections.

Winners of the 2011 Contest were announced in November, 2011. (Please see the "Previous Winners" link above to see a list of all winners.) Information about the 2012 Book Collecting Contest will be announced in August 2012.

The winner of the Winesett Book Collecting Contest will also be eligible to enroll in the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest. The National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest is open to winners of college and university book collecting contests - such as the Winesett Book Collecting Contest - and includes a first prize of $2,500, a second prize of $1,000, and a third prize of $500. An award ceremony for the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest will be held at the Library of Congress. More details about the National contest are available here.

 

Winesett Book Collecting Contest Submission Guidelines:

Each submission must include the following:

  1. A list of 15-20 books from your personal collection, following this format:
    • Each book must be properly formatted in APA, MLA, or Chicago/Turabian citation style.
    • Each book must have a sentence or two describing why it is an important part of your collection.
  2. An essay describing why you collect these books, what your collection means to you, and what you see as the theme of the collection. The essay must be 500-1000 words (2-4 double spaced typewritten pages). Creativity is encouraged!
  3. A list of 5-10 more books that you don't own, but would like to add to your collection.
  4. A submission cover letter, available for download here (as an MS Word document). This includes details on submitting your final submission.
  5. You may submit your materials via email to wehyde@radford.edu, or in person to Room 533, McConnell Library, or at the McConnell Library Circulation Desk.

2011 Contest rules and regulations:

  • Submissions will be judged based on the creativity and thoughtfulness exercised in developing the collection, the strength of the essay, and what the collection means to the owner - not on the academic or "literary" quality of the books in the collection.
  • The contest is open to all full-time undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at Radford University during the Fall 2011 semester.
  • The books must be the owned by the student and be part of his or her personal collection.. The collection can contain hardback and/or paperback books, but no library books, textbooks, or electronic books are allowed.
  • The essay should address the following:
    • What is the purpose of the collection?
    • How did you start the collection?
    • How did you become interested in this topic or theme?
    • How did you go about finding these particular books?
    • What are some of your favorite books in the collection, and what makes them special?
  • Topics and themes can be diverse, encompassing literature, history, science-fiction, fantasy, natural history, astronomy, memoirs, criminal justice, Virginia history and culture, vampires, economics, the Beatles, travel books, popular novels, mystery novels, eco criticism, short story collections, women novelists, the American Civil War, American poets, Beat writers, books on sports – whatever subject that fuels your passion to read and collect books.
  • The theme can be as broad ("My collection of novels") or narrow ("My collection of books about the Brooklyn Dodgers and Jackie Robinson.") as you like.
  • Submissions will be judged using this criteria (from the National Book Collecting Contest): "The principal criteria will be the intelligence and originality of the collection and the potential of the entrant to evolve the collection and develop new collections.  The contestant’s understanding of the collection’s subject and its bibliography as well as the creativity of approach are the primary criteria."
  • Contest winners will be required to let McConnell Library borrow 10 books from their collections for display. Books will be displayed in a locked case in the library during January and February, 2012. We'll show off your collection!
  • A panel of five judges will review the submissions. The judges include library faculty and staff and teaching faculty.
  • Two prizes will be awarded: a first place prize of $400, and a second place prize of $300.
  • The deadline for submissions in November 4, 2011.

Timetable for 2011 Winesett Book Collecting Contest:

  • Friday, November 4, 2011 - 4:00 PM - Deadline to submit submissions. Submissions can be turned in at the office of Gene Hyde, Special Collections Librarian, in Room 533 of McConnell Library, or submitted via email to wehyde@radford.edu.
  • Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - 4:00 PM - Award ceremony and prize presentation, Third Floor, McConnell Library.

For questions, comments, or information, please contact Gene Hyde at wehyde@radford.edu or 540-831-5692.

Prize money for the Winesett Book Collecting Contest is provided by the Winesett Endowment. To learn more about the library benefactor who endowed this prize, please refer to "Hazel Grove Winesett: The Best Friend," a biographical essay by retired University Librarian David Hayes.

Neil Gaiman's books
Some of the books in Neil Gaiman's personal collection.

The photographs of Neil Gaiman's library are used with the kind permission of Kyle Cassidy.

 

Visiting the Archives and Special Collections

We welcome visitors and scholars, but we request that you make an appointment. For information or to arrange an appointment, please contact Gene Hyde, Archivist and Appalachian Collection Librarian, at wehyde@radford.edu or 540-831-5692.

All photos are from the Radford University Archives