University students who have a passion for collecting books can compete for prizes of $1,000 or $500 by entering the 21st annual Neureuther Student Book Collection Essay Competition.
Sponsored by University Libraries, the Neureuther Competition is designed to encourage students to read for enjoyment and to develop personal libraries or book collections throughout their lives.
For the competition, a collection can be on any subject and should reflect the owner’s intellectual or personal interests.
The event is composed of two competitions: one for graduate students and one for undergraduates, with a first prize of $1,000 and a second prize of $500 awarded at each level.
Applicants must be current full-time students and must supply the following by March 24:
• a completed entry form;
• a two- to four-page essay about the collection;
• a bibliography listing the books in the collection; and
• three to five books from the entrant’s collection.
Entry forms, past winning essays and details about how to enter are available online at library.wustl.edu/collections/neureuther.html.
Students should deliver their materials to the Department of Special Collections on the main level of Olin Library weekdays from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Entry forms also are available at the Olin Library checkout desk.
Judges will consider the collection’s scope, thematic unity, personal value to the collector and other factors.
Winners will be announced, awards will be presented and books will be returned in late April.
The Neureuther competition is made possible by the financial contributions of Carl Neureuther, a 1940 WUSTL graduate.
For more information, contact Aaron Welborn at 935-6569 or awelborn@wustl.edu.