The Friends of the UD Library Invites Blue Hens to Enter Annual Book Collecting Contest

The Friends of the University of Delaware Library invites all current UD undergraduate and graduate students to participate in the annual Student Book Collecting Contest, which recognizes and celebrates the personal libraries of student collectors.

The contest encourages reading, research and the appreciation of printed and illustrated works for both pleasure and scholarship. Collections may focus on any theme, such as a specific author, genre, historical period or artistic style. Submissions will be evaluated on coherence, intellectual depth, creativity and personal significance.

The contest awards cash prizes: $1,000 for first place and $500 each for second and third place. Winners will also be entered into the National Collegiate Student Book Collecting Contest, where the top prize is $5,000.

To enter, students must submit an application by June 1, 2025. Click here to learn more and apply.

Seth Trotter, a 1994 University of Delaware graduate, was an active member of the Friends of the UD Library, engaging in Special Collections exhibitions, lectures, and annual events before his sudden passing on Nov. 7, 1995. To honor his legacy, his parents established the Seth M. Trotter Memorial Fund to uphold his passion for scholarship and intellectual exploration. In 2019, his father, Joseph Trotter, approved renaming the Friends’ Book Collecting Contest and Special Collections Essay Contest in Seth’s honor. Donations can be made by specifying the “Seth M. Trotter Memorial Fund.”