Ann and Emanuel Rudolph were avid book collectors. In their lifetimes they collected over 53,000 volumes which they catalogued and preserved in their homes. They also enjoyed sharing their collection with countless students and book lovers. Dr. Rudolph was a professor of plant biology at The Ohio State University for many years, and his wife, Ann, was a librarian with Battelle Memorial Institute.
The Rudolph’s generosity established an endowment to provide a scholarship to encourage young people to develop an interest in books and to pursue collections of their own. From this endowment, awards are provided to students based upon an essay related to their interest in collecting and preserving books.
PRIZES
One undergraduate and one graduate student will be selected to win.
First prize, undergraduate: $1,500
First prize, graduate: $1,500
Winners may use their essay to qualify for 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 National Collegiate Book Collecting website for more information.)
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. 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.
GUIDELINES
- Applicants must be an undergraduate or graduate student at the Ohio State University.
- Essay must include a cover page that contains the following:
- Name
- Undergraduate/graduate level
- Major
- Address
- Phone Number
- A 2-4 page essay on the following topic:
A collection of books and related materials may come together based on many factors, including topics, themes, settings, or authors. Discuss your collection and explain why the books and materials are of interest to you, the decision process in acquiring them, or how they enrich your life.
With the thought of developing a collection, what other materials would you like to collect that are related to those titles you discussed? Include reasons for your choices.