Library Sticker Thing Award

The humble sticker is so much more than vinyl. It’s a tiny piece of everyday art. It’s an opportunity to show the world what you love, and here at Coates Library, we love student artwork. Every year we purchase new artwork from our talented students and display those pieces proudly on our walls, and now we want to display your work proudly on our laptops and water bottles. The “Sticker Thing” prize aims to reward and support our creative students and recognize the library as a place of both research and inspiration. 

How it works: Every Fall, the library accepts student submissions for the upcoming year's sticker. The winner will be decided by the library's Sticker Thing Committee in early December, and the winner will be announced and awarded before the semester ends. The winning design will be printed as 3-inch vinyl stickers that will be given away by the library throughout 2026. The design will be retired at the end of the calendar year, and a new design will be awarded according to the new theme. (We can't wait to collect them all!)

Submission Deadline: November 21, 2025

Open to: Students

Awards: One $300 prize, certificate, and inclusion in the Sticker Thing Archive. The winning sticker will be available through the library throughout 2026. 

2026 Theme: The theme for the 2026 sticker is “Growing Inspired”.

How have you grown inspired at Coates? Have you discovered new ideas in a book that caught your eye? Did you follow citations, branching out until you discovered you have more questions than ever? We’d love to see your take on the library and the concept of growth- think plant life, nature, knowing, growing.