Let Your Books Speak For You in the Winesett Book Collecting Contest

McConnell Library is once again accepting submissions for its annual Winesett Book Collecting Contest from all Radford students who are proud to say they have a personal library. 

So what can your books do for you? Prizes include:

• A first place prize of $600 in cash and a $100 gift certificate to Bookworm & Silverfish.
• A second place prize of $400 in cash and a $50 gift certificate to Bookworm & Silverfish.
• A third place prize of $150 in cash to further the winner’s collection.

All types of book collections are eligible for entry. Past winners have submitted collections that included young adult novels, science fiction paperbacks and books that have been banned. The first place collection then qualifies for the National Collegiate Book Collection Contest with a top prize of $2,500.

Prize money is provided by the Winesett Endowment and Lorne Bair Rare Books of Winchester. All gift certificates are provided by Bookworm & Silverfish of Rural Retreat. This unique bookstore specializes in out-of-print, hard-to-find, used and rare books.

Submissions are due by midnight on Friday, Nov. 8. Submissions must include a list of at least 20 books from your personal collection, a 1,000-1,500 word essay about your collection and a list of at least 10 books that you would like to add to your collection.

Radford University held the first Winesett Book Collecting Contest in 2009 with funds from the Hazel Grove Winesett Endowment, the largest gift ever given to McConnell Library.

The 5th Annual Winesett Book Collecting Contest Awards Ceremony, Unbound Books Exhibition and reception will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 4 p.m.

For full submission details and online entry, visit the McConnell Library at http://library.radford.edu/archives/bookcontest.html