Imagining the Research Library of Tomorrow Contest
Do you study in Love Library? Do you use any of University Libraries’ resources? Do you have hopes and dreams for the future?
You could win up to $350!
This year, the UNL Libraries are celebrating many important milestones, including the 80th anniversary of Love Library. To commemorate these milestones, the Libraries invite you to join in our Pages to Paths celebrations. Pages to Paths honors the legacy of research libraries and embraces the vital work of those who guide us toward new ways of learning, collaborating, and innovating.
As part of Pages to Paths, we invite all UNL undergraduate students to imagine and share their vision for the future of academic research libraries. The Nebraska Model is how the Libraries envision our own future. How do you envision the future of research libraries?
Reflect on the educational journey you are on and how the UNL Libraries have supported you on that journey. Then visualize your path to the future and how you see the Libraries’ path to the future alongside your own.
Contest Prompt
Using whatever creative format best communicates your vision, address the following prompt:
Explore your hopes, dreams, and sense of possibilities for how research libraries will evolve to support discovery, knowledge, and human connection in the years to come.
Prizes
- First place: $350 Visa gift card + UNL Libraries swag
- Second place: $200 Visa gift card + UNL Libraries swag
- Third place: $100 Visa gift card + UNL Libraries swag
If the winning entry is a group project, the group must divide the prize amongst themselves at their own discretion.
Timeline
Submissions for the Pages to Paths: Imagining the Research Library of Tomorrow Contest are due on Dec. 4, 2025.
Winners will be notified by the last week of Jan. 2026 and will be announced during the week of Glow Big Red in Feb. 2026.
Submission guidelines and process:
This contest is open to all undergraduate students enrolled at UNL, both as individuals and in groups. Use of UNL Libraries’ resources is encouraged. Consult with a librarian for assistance with discovering resources.
Entries may take any creative form, including but not limited to:
- artwork (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc.)
- video
- audio recording or podcast
- music
- creative writing
- research-based project
- 3D models
What are the specific requirements for submissions?
- Physical object (artwork, 3D models etc.) submissions must be photographs showing the item from multiple angles.
- Written submissions must be no more than 6 pages long, 12 pt. font, double-spaced.
- Audio/video submissions must be no more than 15 minutes long.
- Submitted files must be no more than 1 GB in size.
- Media formats must be compatible with Adobe Acrobat and/or Microsoft Office.
How do I submit my entry to the contest?
Once your entry is ready, please complete the submission form. Projects must be submitted by uploading a file or providing a link.
As instructed on the form, please include a short explanation (maximum 250 words) describing your project, your inspiration, and the vision of the future you expressed in your submission. This will not be included in your page count if you are submitting a written project.
Can I use AI to create my submission?
Generative AI may be used as a tool but not for the final submission. If you choose to use Generative AI, please explain how and why in your written explanation.
Will winning entries be displayed in Libraries?
University Libraries may request to display winning entries in Love Library temporarily. Arrangements may be made for winners to drop off physical objects.
Winning entrants retain full ownership of their work but grant University Libraries a non-exclusive license to excerpt, display, and share portions of the winning submissions in connection with library programming, promotion, and community outreach, with creator attribution.
Winners will also be expected to provide a photograph of themselves.
For any questions regarding the Pages to Paths: Imagining the Research Library of Tomorrow contest submission process, please contact Harriet Wintermute, at hwintermute2@nebraska.edu.
Evaluation criteria:
A panel of UNL Libraries faculty and staff will review all submissions.
Entries will be judged based on:
- Creativity/Originality: entries that present imaginative ideas and creative exploration of the theme and/or medium.
- Relevance to the prompt: directly address the prompt of envisioning the future of research libraries and connect clearly to the ideas of discovery, knowledge, and human connection.
- Quality/Proficiency: how well the work is executed and the care given to detail.
Credit will be given to those who access library resources to assist in the creation of their submission. This includes collections, databases, technology, spaces, collaboration with library staff, or any other resource or service provided by the libraries.