Book collection competition highlights students’ interests
By Vanda Farahmand
March 9, 2005 9:00 p.m.
Most students have fond recollections of starting their first
collection. Whether it was of comics or coins, television
memorabilia or pogs, collections are a way to express and develop
one’s interests.
The long-established Campbell Competition here at UCLA, which
builds upon this joy of collecting, creates a forum for students
interested in book collection to share their passions.
Established in 1948, the annual Robert B. and Blanche Campbell
Student Book Collection Competition, one of the oldest such
competitions in the country, has been providing students interested
in book collecting a way to display their work and also rewarding
them for their collection.
The goal of the competition is to increase student interest in
book collecting and reading, and it encourages students to pursue
their love of books, said Louise Ratliff, chair of the
competition.
“It gives them a venue to present and display their books
and for them to showcase their collection. … It is sharing with
other interested people your love of your subject,” Ratliff
said.
Jennifer Kish, a first-year master’s student who attended
the workshop, discussed how important the competition is to
her.
“(I am) able to announce my passion to others. … It
makes students aware that books are a vital part of everyday
life,” Kish said.
Now entering its 57th year, the Campbell Competition was
established by UCLA librarian Lawrence Powell, who suggested it to
Robert Campbell as a means to stimulate interest in book collecting
and reading.
Robert Campbell was the original bookseller to UCLA, and after
the university campus moved to Westwood Village in 1929, he moved
his bookshop from Vermont Avenue to Westwood. The Campbells
eventually sold the chain in 1974, 50 years after their first shop
opened.
To enter the competition, students must submit a one-page
statement about their book collection, a bibliography of the books
in their collection, an additional annotated bibliography that
lists up to 10 additional books they would like to add to their
collection in the future, and a completed application form.
Students pick the themes of their collections, which can include
up to 50 books, and are judged based upon the substance of their
collections, not necessarily the rarity of the books.
There are five separate cash prizes, ranging from $150 to $500,
given out in the competition.
The prize categories include two winners in the graduate entry
category, two winners in the undergraduate category, and an
honorable mention prize funded by the Library Staff
Association.
An Outstanding Children’s Books prize is awarded in the
years that an exceptional children’s book collection is
entered. Clarice Campbell Olcott, daughter of the late Robert and
Blanche Campbell, funds the $500 prize.
The guest judge this year will be Evan Kleiman, host of
KCRW’s Saturday morning radio program “Good
Food,” owner of Angeli Caffe on Melrose Avenue and author of
numerous cookbooks, including “Pasta Fresca” and
“Cucina Rustica.”
Not only will Kleiman be judging the entries, but she will also
be speaking at the awards banquet, which will take place on April
27.
Though the deadline for entries is not until April 13, a
book-collecting workshop was recently held to give students a means
to learn about book collecting and how to write bibliographies.
Danna Schacter, a staff member of the UCLA Education and
Information School who attended the workshop, described her love of
book collecting and reading.
“I like to be able to see my collection on my shelves.
Each book I read has an effect on me,” said Schacter.
Students interested in entering the contest and sharing their
work with others can visit the Campbell Competition Web site or
contact the UCLA library for further information.
With reports from Lee Bialik, Bruin reporter.
