Western History and Genealogy

Caroline Bancroft History Prize

Winner of the 2011 Prize:

Down Country: The Tano of the Galisteo Basin, 1250-1782
by Lucy R. Lippard

Description and Guidelines for the 2012 Prize

The Western History/Genealogy Department of the Denver Public Library awards the Caroline Bancroft Prize annually. According to the terms of the will of the late Caroline Bancroft, provision is made for an annual prize "to be awarded to the author of the best book on Colorado or Western American History published during the current year, to be known as the Caroline Bancroft History Prize." The 2012 prize will be in the amount of $3,000. Honor books may be named but will not receive a monetary prize.

The competition is open to all persons, whether connected with the Denver Public Library or not and whether citizens of the United States or any other country. The winner of the 2012 prize will be announced in the fall of 2012.

Only books published in 2011 will be considered for the 2012 prize. Books published in 2012 will be considered for the 2013 prize.

"Colorado or Western American History" is defined geographically as being inclusive of the trans-Mississippi West from prehistoric times to the present. This includes all states west of the Mississippi River, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Canadian and Mexican borderlands.

In defining the term "best book," the staff of the Western History/Genealogy Department will consider books that make significant contribution to historical knowledge, that present thorough and original research, that bring a new perspective to some well-known question, and that are of a high literary quality. The winning book/author will be selected by employees of the Western History/Genealogy Department.

Publishers and authors can submit entries to:
The Caroline Bancroft Prize, Western History/Genealogy Department,
Denver Public Library
10 West Fourteenth Avenue Parkway
Denver, CO 80204
preferably as published, but not later than May 1, 2012. The Denver Public Library requests two copies of the book along with a letter that states that it is for the Caroline Bancroft Prize competition so that the Library can send an acknowledgement. All submitted copies will become property of the Denver Public Library.

Questions regarding the process used by the Library for prize selection can be addressed to Jim Kroll, Manager of the Western History/Genealogy Department, jkroll@denverlibrary.org.

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Caroline Bancroft History Prize Winners and Honors

Bancroft Honor Books

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