The library provided a convenient place for everyone to meet to share opinions and knowledge. There were ample, easily accessible materials that supported our ideas and the overarching project.
–Heather Banschbach, 2010 Madison College NLW essay contest winner
From comedies to tragedies, memoirs to technical studies, a wide variety of stories surround library staff each day. All of the books on our shelves and articles in our databases have their own unique stories to share. Nearly any topic can be discovered and thoroughly researched with our wide array of resources and the assistance of our librarians.
Stories of an entirely different sort, however, weave their way around us each day. I’m referring to the living stories of students who pass through the doors of our seven libraries. From the student who is discovering our resources for the first time at a session in the library to the student reserving a group study room to film her multimedia presentation, the stories vary just as much as those that surround us on our shelves and in our databases. In honor of National Library Week (NLW), April 10-16, we’d like to hear these stories from students in an essay contest. The theme we’d like students to focus on in their essay this year for NLW is Create Your Own Story @ Your Library.
The essays will be judged on grammar and style, but, most importantly, on the stories they tell. How did your library experience impact your success in a class or generally as a student? (Hint: be specific about library services, resources, and interactions with library staff that have impacted your success). The essays must be typed and submitted electronically by Monday, March 28 at 11:59 p.m. Please submit your essay to us at [email protected] as a pdf, .doc, or .docx. Only one entry per student is allowed and submitters must be active students at Madison College. The word limit is 500 words. You must include the following information along with your entry in order to be eligible for a prize:
Name
Student ID
Phone number
Student email address
Primary Campus
The grand prize is a NookColor with a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card to get your NookBook collection started. The prize for the runner-up is an original Nook and a $25 NookBook gift card. The third, fourth, and fifth place entrants will each receive a $25 Amazon gift card. Essays will be judged by a panel of Madison College representatives who will announce the winners on Monday, April 11. Please be aware that all or parts of your entry may be used for promotional purposes. Good luck!