Student Book Collecting Contest

Applestein-Sweren Book Collecting Prize

The Applestein-Sweren Prize is funded by a generous endowment established by Betty Applestein Sweren '52 and Dr. Edgar Sweren in 2012. Prizes are awarded to 水果派AV解说 students who present thoughtfully constructed personal collections of books and related ephemera. The competition encourages 水果派AV解说 students to read for enjoyment and to develop personal libraries throughout their lives; to appreciate the special qualities of printed or illustrated works; and to read, research and preserve their collected works for pleasure and scholarship. Collections can be on any subject and this contest is open to all 水果派AV解说 students.

We are no longer accepting applications for the 2025-2026 prize.

Prizes

Three potential prizes are available annually to 水果派AV解说 students:

1st Prize: $500

2nd Prize: $250

3rd Prize: $150

All prize winners will also be eligible for the $2,500 national prize awarded by the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest, sponsored by the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA), the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies (FABS) and the Center for the Book and the Rare Books and Special Collections Division. See the for more information.

Winners will be given the opportunity to curate a small exhibition of their collections in the 水果派AV解说Library.

What is a Collection?

A collection consists of items that a student has come to own as a consequence of developing a particular interest, which may be academic or not. A collection should reflect a clearly defined unifying theme or interest. It may incorporate ephemera, maps, prints, autograph material as well as books, either hard cover or paperback, as long as they are germane to the collection's focus. All items of the collection must be in physical format. How well a collection reflects the collector's intent is more significant than either the number of items or the monetary value of the collection.

View examples of available in 水果派AV解说 College's institutional repository, eScholarship@水果派AV解说.

How to Apply

Applications for the prize must include the following:

  • A 2-4 page essay describing how and why the collection as a whole was assembled.
  • An annotated bibliography of at least twenty representative items from the collection. The annotations should reflect the importance of each item to the collection as a whole.
  • An annotated "wish list" of at least ten other book titles that you would like to add in the future to complete or enhance your existing collection.
  • Digital images of items in the collection including five representative items.
  • Complete the including contact information.

Criteria for Evaluation

Clearly stated purpose or unifying theme of the collection.

  • Extent to which the collection represents the stated purpose/theme.
  • Evidence of creativity in building the collection.
  • Originality, innovation and uniqueness in the collection or the collecting process.
  • Quality of the application essay describing the collection The judging panel will consist of members of the 水果派AV解说 faculty, library staff, and members from the larger 水果派AV解说 and Baltimore community with a passion for books and book collecting.

For any questions, email the 水果派AV解说Library at library@goucher.edu.

Judges

The judging panel will consist of members of the 水果派AV解说 faculty, library staff, and members from the larger 水果派AV解说 and Baltimore community with a passion for books and book collecting.

Past Award Winners

2023-2024

Co-winners

Anna Kulikova '24,

Maura Tyson '25,

2022-2023

First Place
Reese Finnegan '25,

Second Place
Joan Firestein '23,

Third Place
Autumn Krist '23,

Honorable Mention
Kendra Medlin '26, On Course: Book to Basics

2021-2022

First Place
Emily Strickland '25,

Second Place
Sandra Howard, MA in Cultural Preservation '24,

Third Place
Uyen Nguyen '22,

Honorable Mention
Reese Finnigan '25, Reese's Rock and Roll

Honorable Mention
Morgan Jackson '22, The Creative Lives of Bad Feminists

2019-2020

First Place
Uyen Nguyen '22,

Second Place
Elijah Brooks '20,

Co-Third Place
Alexis Fisher '20,

Co-Third Place
Sarah Wilson '20,

Honorable Mention
Rosie David '20, Stories of Ordinary People Finding Magic

Honorable Mention
Kelly Holland '23, Fairy Tales and Folk Stories

2018-2019

Co-First Place
Ruut DeMeo '20,

Co-First Place
Matthew Jenkins '21,

Co-Second Place
Joshua Miller 鈥�20,

Co-Second Place
Lena Fultz 鈥�19,

Honorable Mention
Abigail Mahoney-Cloutier 鈥�22, High Fantasy in Ink

2016-2017

First Place
Rose Berman, Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program '17,

Second Place
Jackson Gilman-Forlini, MA in Historic Preservation '18,

Honorable Mention
Htet Htet Aye Win '19, Stories from Yesterday: A Collection of Myths, Legends, Fairytales, and Folktales

2015-2016

First Place
Micaela Beigel '19,

Honorable Mention
Julianna Head '19, Adventures with Animals: Through Emotional Landscapes and Actual Ones

2014-2015

Co-First Place
Laura Williams '17,

Co-First Place
Hannah Fenster '15,

Second Place
Michelle Tirto '15,

Third Place
Emily K. Collins '15, 'Home Maker': What it Was to be a Woman in Late Victorian America

2013

First Place
Jacqueline Cast '14,

Second Place
Shayna Meisel '16,

Third Place
Miranda Harmon '14,

Honorable Mention
Emily K. Collins '15, And Baby Makes...?: Reproduction (or Lack Thereof) in the Mid to Late 19th Century

2012

Co-First Place
Lily Dodge '12,

Co-First Place
Camden Kimura '12,

Second Place
Cynthia Ferguson '14,

Honorable mention
JoAnna Ramsey '16, The Movies, the Magic and Me