Library Creativity Award

This month, the OSU Library will be selecting five individuals as winners of the 2017 Library Creativity Awards. This is the second year the library has offered the competition, so the process is still relatively new to all. In short, students submit creative projects they have completed within the last school year to be judged by a panel. The projects are sorted into designated categories, and winners are chosen.

The five creative categories are Two Dimensional, Three Dimensional, Motion Animation, Wild Card and Best in Show. The grand prize winner, Best in Show, receives $1000 for their creative efforts; the category winners each take home $300.

Fortunately, the OSU Library’s technologies have made many forms of creativity possible for students who may not have access to certain programs on their own. For example, the OSU Library computers are loaded with popular Adobe programs that allow students creative freedom without having to pay for a subscription.

The Edmon Low Creative Studios are a hub for these services. Inside Room 105, there is a 3D studio with modelling software and printers; Mac and Windows suites with design programs and recording devices; and a presentation studio with a green screen. The Tech to Go desk offers several types of digital cameras, microphones and corresponding audio/video editing programs as well as subscriptions to Lynda.com, where students can find tutorials on all things inventive.

Last year’s “Best in Show” winner Christian Coletti, aerospace and mechanical engineering major, wanted to learn more about minimal surfaces, so he found relevant research materials in the basement. He then created designs using Blender software and built prototypes of his designs using the library’s 3D printers.

As in Christian’s case, this competition gives students the opportunity to show off their abilities and be recognized for their work. It also allows the OSU Library to indirectly promote helpful library services; however, applicants are not required to use library resources in their works. Submissions can be projects the students completed for a class or simply for their own entertainment.

By offering prizes to students who produce innovative and fascinating work, the Library Creativity Award acts as an incentive for students to use the products and services made available by the OSU Library. The winners show other students what is possible with the library. The OSU Library's technologies make it possible for students like Coletti to put their creativity to work. This brings new ideas to life and maximizes potential in students throughout their time at Oklahoma State.

Post by Jennifer Barnett, E-Communications intern for OSU Library Communications