Entry deadline: Fri., January 28, 2005 
Judging: Sat., February 12, 2005

Prizes and Recognition:

1. There will be separate divisions for Graduate and Undergraduate students, with prizes of $300, $200, and $100 in each division.
2. Selections from the winning collections will be exhibited in the North Lobby of the Hatcher Graduate Library in March 2005.
3. The two first prize winners will be the Library’s guests at the Friends of the University Library’s “Collectomania” event on April 8, 2005 .
4. All winners will be announced in a press release to the UM campus and Ann Arbor community.
5. All winners will receive a complimentary one-year membership in the Friends of the University Library.

Rules:

1. Eligibility: Entry is open to any University of Michigan student except first-place winners in previous years of this contest.
2. Undergraduate and graduate students will be judged in separate divisions and winners will be announced for each.
3. The collection must be based on some unifying principle.
4. The student must own the collection submitted for review.
5. Only one entry per person.
6. Collections are expected to emphasize books (including pamphlets and periodicals), but up to 10% may be non-book items that support the collection (e.g., maps, manuscripts, graphics, photographs, music, etc.).

Process:

1. Entries must be submitted by Friday, January 28, 2005 .
2. Each entry will consist of a completed entry form accompanied by
1. an overview of the collection in about 100 words,
2. a 2-4 page description of the collection, and
3. a bibliographic list of the collection with annotations for 12 to 15 key items.
3. Judging for the contest will take place on Saturday, February 12, 2005 , between approximately 11 am and 3 pm . Each entrant must bring 12 items selected from the annotated bibliography for review. Entrants will give a brief presentation on the scope and content of their collection and answer questions from a panel of judges. Each judges’ panel will consist of three to four people, representing members of the Friends of the University Library, faculty members, area book dealers, and/or Library staff.
4. Selected samples from collections entered in the contest will be exhibited in the Graduate Library in March 2005.

Criteria for Judging:

1. The extent to which the collection represents a well-defined field of interest.
2. The degree of originality shown in the selected field of interest.
3. The coherence of the collection.
4. The quality of the entrant’s written and oral presentations.
5. The uniqueness of individual items in the collection (e.g., first editions, significant imprints, scarce items, etc.).

Timeline:

Contest entry forms due: Friday, January 28, 2005

Collections reviewed by judges: Saturday, February 12, 2005

Winners announced: Monday, February 14, 2005

Download the entry form (PDF format)

Questions? Contact Peggy Daub (Head of the Special Collections Library) at 764-9377 or pdaub@umich.edu

Read about last year’s winners