1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

2: The reading list was great and will be useful in the future. Also appreciate expanded reading list that was distributed in class. 3: Extremely pertinent. 4: They were very helpful in focusing on the context of the course. 5: Extremely helpful. 6: Very important. 7: Somewhat useful. 8: Quite relevant. 9: Very.

2) Were the course syllabus and other materials distributed in class useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?

1: The same studious care with which SA planned her course was reflected in the handouts. Not only did they reinforce and further solidify the lectures, they appeared at the appropriate times during the week. The extensive bibliography will be especially useful for future study. 3:Yes and yes. 4: They were appropriate and helpful. 5: Very much so -- invaluable reference. 6: Yes. 7: Materials distributed will become part of my reference materials at my home institute. No syllabus. 8: Yes, especially the full-color wall chart. 9: Yes.

3) Was the intellectual level of the course content appropriate?

1: SA has mastered the skill of making a complicated, rich subject easily accessible and understandable. She talks to all levels of knowledge and all kinds of backgrounds, while keeping her subject fresh and exciting. 2: Yes -- thought-provoking, well-presented, well organized. 3: Yes. 4: It was very interesting and practical. 5: SA had many insightful comments throughout the week that added a depth to the subject. 6-9: Yes.

4) If your course had field trips, were they effective?

1: The trips to the Rotunda offered an important opportunity to cement the teaching by allowing students to study and describe books. A change of venue (and what a venue!). Also helped keep the energy level up. The trip to Special Collections made the slide shows come alive. 2: Yes -- visits to the Rotunda allowed us to handle books. I would have appreciated one evening to do this as well. Going to Special Collections meant seeing some very important books. 3: Absolutely; I especially appreciated the sessions held in the Rotunda and visit to Cal Otto's collection. 4: Yes, very well spent, except it was a little difficult to inspect the books in Special Collections because if the lighting. 5: One of the highlights was the visit to Special Collections. 6: Yes. 7: Very well devoted. 8: Yes. 9: Absolutely -- the materials in the Rotunda are impressive in their scope. Special Collections was great and so was one very special evening field trip. Thanks CO!

5) Did the actual course content correspond to its RBS brochure description and Expanded Course Description (ECD)? Did the course in general meet your expectations?

1: Yes. 2: Yes -- although the emphasis was more American than I expected which, for me, was an asset, since it is why my institution sent me. 3: Yes. 4: Yes, it corresponded very well. 5: Yes. 6: Yes, very well. 7-9: Yes.

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: SA. Her kindness, knowledge, and pleasure in the c19 publishers' bookbindings opened up the subject to me. Her generosity towards her students combined with a razor-sharp understanding of her subject made the course a real adventure. 2: SA. It was wonderful to be able to work with someone who has spent so many years working on one subject area and is so knowledgeable She is accessible and warm and excited about her subject. The perfect teacher!! 3: The instructor; SA is an unmatched teacher. Her enthusiasm, graciousness, and comprehensive coverage of her topic are exemplary. I exit this course feeling informed, committed and inspired. 4: The instructor's knowledge and presentation and her patient kindness. 5: SA's wonderful presentation and delight with the material. 6: Practical working. 7: Viewing the materials after the era/style of binding was discussed and viewing slides of the materials. 8: The opportunity to see many books in a controlled, informative context. 9: SA's knowledge and enthusiasm in sharing her love of these books.

7) How could the course have been improved?

1: No improvements needed. 2: I would have either expanded descriptions of all the books or the ability to handle selected examples. As a rare book librarian I am very aware of the fragility of materials and the need for appropriate care and handling, but not all of the books we saw needed the same kind of hands-off approach. A 1st edn in original cloth of The Whale is one thing, but of 40 1880's cloth covers surely a few could have been handled. To isolate the cover as separate from the text and illustration and type face is to do a disservice to the book. If one of the purposes of these classes is to make students advocates for the book in their institutions, that purpose would be better served by selective handling. I actually thought taking the books off the shelves in the Rotunda by the students was more a threat to the preservation of the books than controlled handling in class. Given these books are only used for this class, who are the books being saved for if not the 10-20 students a year willing to pay $1,500-2,000 to take the class? In my own teaching I balance materials that can be touched with those that cannot in a group situation. With a group of the size of this class, less than 25 of 100,000 books would be "untouchable." 3: I am entirely satisfied by the course. 4: Again, I would have liked to be able to handle the books more (maybe with gloves on?). 7: While the expert in the field, SA's course could use more structure -- a syllabus or "major points to cover" would have been helpful. At times, I felt overwhelmed by the amount of materials she was either distributing or presenting on slides. Tended to blur the distinction that note each era of book binding. 8: Was somewhat restrictive not being able to handle the books. 9: Couldn't be better!

8) We are always concerned about the physical well-being both of the RBS teaching collections and of materials owned by UVa's Special Collections. If relevant, what suggestions do you have for the improved classroom handling of such materials used in your course this week?

1: I agree with RBS's policy towards book handling. However, it would be nice to have the title-page information about the books shown. In this kind of course, it becomes increasingly difficult to not be able to touch the cloth and look at end papers. It might be a good idea to allow us to study/touch a book occasionally. I was surprised to see how few people washed their hands after break and equally surprised to see some students writing in pen in the classroom and in the Rotunda. 3: The issue of handling materials during class periods should be better resolved, for the limitations of handling books are creating tension for the instructor and frustration for some students. I feel the use of "book baskets" is a helpful practice; even better would be to have soft book supports on hand to support covers when opening. I would also recommend students using pencil only for note taking and washing their hands before class. I would advocate allowing students to handle most books, for that is part of the experience of learning. (If the study collection is not to be handled by students, then what is its purpose?) Handling could be reduced by providing more extensive date/publisher information on a flag in the book. However, they should still have the privilege of examining the book as a book. 4: Special gloves to handle the materials without too much damaging effect. 5: A five minute demonstration on how to hold/handle a book, then the opportunity to hold and examine all but extremely valuable or fragile materials. 6: Using gloves when we take books! 8: We weren't allowed to handle the book specimens, which I believe inhibited the learning experience. 1) Show how to handle books. 2) Solicit donations of appropriate classroom material. 9: All is well!

9) Please comment on the quality/enjoyability of the various RBS activities in which you took part outside of class (e.g. Sunday afternoon tour, Sunday night dinner, evening lectures, Bookseller Night, Video Night, Study Night, tour of the Alderman digital/electronic centers, printing demonstrations, &c.).

1: CO kindly opened his house and collection to us on Wednesday. However, for those of us who participated in the week's other events, it gave us very little time to use RBS resources and to re-charge midweek. Greer Allen's lecture was a tour de force. 2: Lecture by GA was wonderful. Evening at CO's was also great -- wish it could have been on Video Night -- sorry to have missed Study Night. Bookseller Night a waste of time. Didn't come to Video Night. 3: The evening lecture by GA was a highlight. 4: They were enjoyable. I especially loved the field trip to CO's house. A lot of learning and hands-on observation that are practical. 5: All worthwhile -- hard to take everything in with full schedule offered. 8: Terrific, as always. Especially enjoyable were the informal dinner with other RBS attendees.

10) Any final thoughts? Did you get your money's worth?

1: SA is the kind of great teacher who makes converts of the uninitiated. This week was exciting and intellectually invigorating. I cannot recommend it highly enough. 2: The course was wonderful. It was worth every cent. 3: I compliment the organization of the courses, the RBS staff, and the resilient spirit of the enterprise. I am thankful to have attended this session and hope to be able to do so again. 4: I thoroughly enjoyed this learning experience and the chance to meet other people from different work emphases. 5: Yes [got my money's worth]. Highly recommended. 6: Yes, absolutely [got my money's worth]. 8: Yes [got my money's worth]. 9: Absolutely [got my money's worth].

Number of respondents: 09

There were three rare book librarians (34%), two antiquarian booksellers (22%), two conservator/binder/preservation librarians (22%), one general librarian with some rare book duties and one library assistant (11% each).

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