Ceremony for Winners of JD Forbes Book Collecting Prize

Winners of the University Library’s inaugural book collecting prize were celebrated at an event in Parliament Hall last week. Our JD Forbes Book Collecting Prize is named in honour of James David Forbes (1809-1868), the eminent scientist and Principal of the United College of St Salvator and St Leonard at St Andrews. Similar prizes have also been endowed at the other ancient Scottish universities.

The purpose of the prize is to encourage students of the University to build their own collections and to promote interest in book collecting. The prize comprises £500 for the winning student and £250 to buy an item, chosen by the winner, to be included in our Library’s Special Collections.

The reception, held on Wednesday 28 October, celebrated prize winner Dawn Hollis whose collection: ‘High and Distant Places: a travel, exploration, and mountaineering collection’, hugely impressed the judges. She gave an entertaining and informative presentation on the background to her collection and brought examples to show the audience.Two honourable mentions were made of Eloise Bennett and Scott Schorr, who were also presented with certificates.

Dawn chose to buy a manuscript, entitled Kellie Law, to be added to our Special Collections. This includes prose and poetry in celebration of the view from the top of this local hill.

The Library is delighted to be opening the competition again this year, with a deadline of 1st June 2016. We are also looking for poster designs to promote the Book Collecting Prize. The chosen poster design will win £50 Topping & Company vouchers and would be used in our promotion of the award. Please send designs in by 30 November 2015.

Full details and how to enter are on our webpages: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/library/specialcollections/news/studentprizeforbookcollecting/ .The competition is open only to University of St Andrews students registered in 2015-16.