RBMS Logo - Home unframe reframe help

unframe reframe help

The Katharine Kyes Leab & Daniel J. Leab American Book Prices Current Exhibition Awards

Guidelines and Rules for Submissions

The Katharine Kyes Leab & Daniel J. Leab American Book Prices Current Exhibition Awards are given for excellence in the publication of catalogs and brochures that accompany exhibitions of library and archival materials, as well as for electronic exhibitions of such materials. The judging of these catalogs, brochures, and electronic exhibitions is carried out by the Exhibition Awards Committee of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS), whose operating expenses are covered by a generous endowment from the Leabs. The announcement of the best catalogs, brochures, and electronic exhibitions selected from the pool of current Leab Award submissions will be made in the spring of 2005, to be followed by the awarding of certificates to the winning institutions at the 2005 American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois.

The Exhibition Awards Committee will sort the printed catalog entries into three budget categories--expensive, moderate, and inexpensive--based on the production costs as given in the entry forms. Budget categories will be defined by the Committee according to the range of costs of catalogs submitted. Catalogs may be of varying formats, styles, and scope--e.g., an inclusive list of items in an exhibition, a selective list, or a narrative with some specific citations.

Exhibition brochures, a fourth division introduced in 2001, include printed leaflets, guides, and informative broadsheets that orient the viewer to the exhibition and are handed out free or at low cost during an exhibition. Usually a first-place award and occasionally an honorable mention or special award of merit will be given in each category for the printed materials.

Electronic exhibitions became a fifth award division at ALA Midwinter 2003, following a three-year pilot project by the Committee to evaluate this genre. Electronic exhibitions submitted for consideration must be sponsored by libraries or archival institutions. Eligibility is extended both to electronic exhibitions created as representations of physically existing exhibitions, as well as to "virtual" exhibitions existing only in electronic format. The first awards in Division Five was made in 2004.

The Committee reserves the right not to make an award in any category for any year.

Submissions are judged on originality, accuracy of detail, informational content, effectiveness of design, and other factors. The Committee serves as the jury for the selections but may seek the advice of outside specialists. Detailed lists of criteria are used by the Committee in judging the printed materials and the electronic exhibitions.

The eligibility requirements for the categories in the 2005 awards competition are:

  • Printed library and archival exhibition catalogs and brochures must have been published between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004 and represent exhibitions that were in progress before 31 August 2004.
  • Electronic library and archival exhibitions are limited to those with stable URL addresses that were initially released between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004. Electronic exhibitions submitted for consideration should be available online through September 2005 to allow adequate time for public viewing.
  • Entries in all categories must be submitted by 30 September 2004. Entries clearly postmarked by this date will be accepted.
  • Participation is limited to library and archival institutions, and consortia of such institutions, in the United States and Canada, including independent and public libraries and archives associated with colleges, universities, historical societies, and museums.

For instructions on submitting catalogs, brochures, or electronic exhibitions, please use the links to the specific entry forms below:

Please note that all materials submitted become the property of RBMS.

Links to lists of entries and winners for other years may be found on the RBMS Exhibition Awards Committee page.

Also available on the RBMS Exhibition Awards Committee pages:

Questions concerning the awards and the submission process should be directed to Melissa Conway, RBMS Exhibition Awards Committee Chair (2004-2006), Special Collections / University of California / Tomás Rivera Library / 3401 Watkins Dr. / Riverside, CA 92521; telephone (909) 787-3233 ; fax (909) 787-3233; or e-mail melissa.conway@ucr.edu.

 
^ return to top ^

Rare Books and Manuscripts Section
Association of College & Research Libraries
Copyright © 2004, American Library Association
Site maintained by John Pull, RBMS Web Editor

This page was last modified on: 20 Jul 2004 at 14:46:52 EST
URL: http://www.rbms.nd.edu/committees/exhibition_awards/submissions/rules.shtml