Library Collecting Competition 2025 – results!
November 2025 saw the return of the Library Collecting Competition. This was the third year we’ve run the competition, and once again we received some great entries. We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who got involved.
Below, our four winners tell us a little bit about their collections.
Katherine Shen
Katherine sent in three different collections, but the judges were particularly taken with her collection of ‘The World of English’ magazines, which was the first English-Chinese bilingual magazine dedicated to English language learning in China.
Katherine said ‘my father was a devoted subscriber from 1990 to 2001, collecting nearly every issue without fail. These slightly yellowed magazines became my first reading materials for learning English, helping to lay a strong foundation for my language skills.
In a time when information was more limited, the articles presented in both English and Chinese were like open windows, offering me a glimpse into the vast world and fueling my curiosity. Because of this, I cherish them as treasures, taking great care to collect and preserve them. While a few copies were accidentally lost during various moves, most remain well-kept to this day. They are not just a pile of old magazines. They embody warm family memories, reflect a unique era of learning, and mark the beginning of my journey to understanding the world.’
Kensington Ludlum
We always enjoy a less conventional collection, and Kensington’s write up about how her ChicknLegs running shorts have helped her find her community was too lovely to ignore.
Kensington said ‘when I began to start packing for college, I questioned whether or not I should bring them, whether they were too flashy or too childish. But I knew that they were not just shorts to me; they were a reminder of the community I had built through running, so I decided to bring them, hoping that the shorts would give me a little bit of luck for the new community I wanted to form through running. The first day of practice came, and I was shorts and all, when I girl came up to me and immediately complimented my shorts, saying how she thought they were so cute. This girl would go on to be my academic mom and someone I look forward to every time we run together or have a family event. She has become an older sister to me, and that would not have happened without the shorts… It’s silly to say, but I don’t know if I would be the person I am today without these shorts, and I certainly would not have found my people in the running here so quickly without them.’
Amara Doshi
We had several entries of beachy ephemera, but Amara’s write up about collecting sea glass with her grandmother just hit the right note for our judges.
Amara said ‘I’ve been collecting sea glass since I was very young—almost everywhere I’ve lived has been by the sea, so it’s always felt like a natural habit. My collection includes pieces found in California, Hawaii, Edinburgh, and now St Andrews. Many pieces source from my local beach in the Bay Area. Some of my fondest memories are of wandering the shore with my mother and grandmother, searching for bits of colour in the sand. It became a tradition whenever my grandmother visited.
Today, part of the collection lives with my grandmother and part of it lives with me. Even though we’re now on different continents, the sea glass feels like a small way of staying connected—shared fragments of time and place shaped by the ocean.’
Briony Harding
Briony’s collection of all things My Little Pony was one of the most comprehensive entries we’ve had since the competition began. Collected with love over years, and stored in chronological order, there was no way the judges couldn’t declare this one of the best in show.
Briony said ‘I have been obsessed with My Little Pony since I was a small child (my Mum was wrong when she said ‘you’ll soon grow out of it’!). I would get the toys every birthday and Christmas, and even at Easter (in lieu of an Easter egg)…
There are ones which dance, ones which glow in the dark, ones whose hair grows or changes colour in the sun, ones which talk, petite ponies (who had their own world of houses, carousels, etc.), flutter ponies (with their iridescent wings which moved up and down), scented ponies, dream beauties (the ‘grown up My Little Pony’, which were never released in the UK)…
I don’t have my collection out on display (although my husband did tell me that I could put some shelves up in the utility to display some of them on, given the office is taken over with his running medals…), but I still get that same thrill I felt as a child whenever I unpack any of them. They definitely take me to my happy place…’
Each of our winners claims a £10 gift card, from either Topping & Co book sellers, Taste coffee shop.
The Library Collecting Competition runs each November and is open to all University students and staff. The James David Forbes collecting prize, for collections of printed material, is open to all current University of St Andrews students and comes with a top prize of £500.