Eclecting reading habits not just their own reward

College senior Lauren Mucciolo won the $250 Burr Book prize for collecting interesting books. Most prizes awarded annually this time of year honor students for writing accomplished essays or completing difficult scientific experiments. But one award stands out among the others, offering kudos to students who spent their time in local bookstores scouring the shelves for interesting reading matter. The obscure Charles W. Burr Book Prize is awarded annually to the student who has collected the most interesting and intelligently selected library of books. After purchasing The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and Ulysses by James Joyce among others, College senior and English major Lauren Mucciolo came away with the $250 prize this year. Students may include any book, except text books, purchased within the last academic year. The committee of Penn faculty and administrators generally looks for students who have pursued a particular theme or academic interest in building their library. "College is a place where you pick up a reading list for the rest of your life," said John Richetti, chairman of the English department. "Students who go to the bookstore just to pick up books -- that is what being educated is all about." A regular at used book stores around the city, Mucciolo pursued four categories -- feminist literature, African-American literature, French language literature and European authors. "There's no science to it," she said of her book collection. "If I see something that jumps out at me I buy it." Deborah Burnham, acting director of Writing Across The University and an English lecturer, serves on the selection committee. She emphasized that books become more than just objects; they are a collection of thoughts and ideas. Noted Sandra Schwartz, assistant director for student services and a fellow committee member, "We were impressed by Mucciolo's considerable depth of interest and eclectic taste in literature." The idea -- and the endowment -- for the prize came from Charles W. Burr, a man with quite an interesting history. A Philadelphia native and Penn graduate, Burr was a noted neurologist, psychiatrist and professor emeritus of mental diseases at the Penn School of Medicine. He carved out a niche for himself as a proponent of some very radical viewpoints. In addition to endowing the prize which he hoped would encourage ownership of worthwhile books by students, Burr is noted for having been largely responsible for the formation of the "Friends of the Library" organization. The Burr Book Prize, however, remains relatively unknown to most. Schwartz said that this year there were only five applicants for the award. "We were definitely disappointed with the response," she said. Still, Mucciolo was excited about her win. And how will she use the prize money? To buy more books.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.