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1) How useful were the pre-course readings? 1: Very useful. 2: The pre-course reading was useful; however, I suggest that more than one reading be recommended to the student. Preferably another “overview” type of book. 3: Gascoigne was splendid: I will use it again and again. 4: Essential. 5: Very good -- though Gascoigne is difficult reading for the novice. 6: Very us eful, although they in no way precluded the need to take the class. 7: Very useful, although Gascoigne only really made sense after class instruction. 8: Essential. 9: They were directly appropriate and very pertinent. The more time spent working on the readings, the more to be gained from the class. 10: Helpful for a good background of basic processes. Nothing surpasses the actual time spent looking at the RBS prints. 11: Very useful. 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: Very appropriate. 2: The syllabus was great. 3-5: Yes. 6: Yes, quite. 7: Absolutely! 8: Yes. 9: Very useful! Will be redigested and u sed to annotate the Time Chart. 10: Absolutely wonderful reference sources made available through the syllabus -- very well organized and thoroughly detailed and referred to throughout the week. 11: Yes. 3) Was the intellectual level of the course content appropriate? 1: Yes. 2: Very much so. 3-5: Yes. 6: Yes, exactly. 7: Yes. 8: Yes, but I could have benefitted by slower pace at the beginning to make sure I recognized the basic techniques. 9-11: Yes. 4) If your course had field trips, were they effective? 1: Yes. 2: N/A 3: Yes. 4-11: N/A 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? 1-6: Yes. 7: Yes, probably even better. 8-11: Yes. 6) What did you like best about the course? 1: I liked the constant references to the Gascoigne book, since I have been using that book as my own personal reference. 2: Having the opportunity to look at and to examine a large number of prints in a variety of printing techniques. 3: I loved the labs: there is nothing like actually doing something (linocut, etching, drypoint) to help you understand what it is and how to appreciate examples you see. 4: The hands-on examination, the anecdotes, the chance to see many originals, the labs. 5: The drypoint, etching, engraving and wood-bloc k labs = it helped tremendously to clarify techniques and processes. 6: Visual, hands-on examination of prints, seems to be the only way to really learn how they were done and how to identify them. 7: The opportunity to closely analyze so many examples. The diagnostic test on Friday was particularly useful as a chance to see different processes together -- and to compare. Also appreciated the practical elements. 8: Looking at examples of illustration techniques; boxes of indivi dual illustration examples. 9: Exposure to the actual materials, and time to go into this material again after class -- all of value due to instructor’s lecture content. 10: Going over the processes with examples in hand, as well as the in-class printing techniques projects. 11: Great use of source materials. Lots of hands-on instruction. 7) How could the course have been improved? 2: By giving short summaries on the board for each technique discussed, including the time when it was first used and the time of decline. The summaries could also be part of the syllabus. 3: It could have been neater. The class tables were covered with terrific books, packets, and tools, but these could have been brought out gradually. Clutter made it difficult to look at the prints. 4: Pass around all materials (indiv. packets + one-of-a-kind items) clockwise one day and counterclockwise the next. This would provide more equitable access. Write out (on blackboard or handouts) the steps in each lab. 7: In one week -- I don’t think it could be improved. 8: More drill in basic illustration techniques. We moved on to the basic techniques before I could readily identify relief/intaglio -- No doubt you’ve considered 2 courses with black and white as required preliminary to color? 9: Geez -- we’re lucky we’ve got what we have! 10: The use of more videos showing various process techniques -- the text is not adequate solely in and of itself. 11: There is a great deal of material to be covered. Maybe, it could be two courses. 8) We are always concerned about the physical well-being both of the BAP’s 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? 2: I suggest to provide soap and tissues by the sink in the gathering room and to ask all students to wash hands before each class, especially after morning breakfast and after returning from lunch. 3: All fine. 4 : See above. 6: Tell people not to use pens to take their notes. 7: Hardly a problem, but it might be better if pens were not allowed. 11: There really needs to be a larger space provided for thi s course, so people can more adequately spread out materials. 9) Please comment on the quality/enjoyability of the various RBS activities in which you took part outside of class (eg Sunday night dinner, evening lectures, Bookseller Night, Study Night, Video Night, tour of the Alderman digital/electronic centers, &c.). 1: I would enjoy being able to see more videos. 2: All were well organized. The Bookseller Night could be improved by providing information how to get there by public transportation, such as by bus. It is not very pleasant to walk to the historic district in the summer heat. 3: The Monday lecture (Mark Lasner) was enjoyable. 4: The evening lecture was fun and the videos useful. I appreciated the assistant’s willingness to screen an alternative video in the second room. 7: I attended all but the Bookseller night -- and rate each highly. Would like to have an optional trip arranged to Monticello -- separately charged -- possibly on the day after the course ends. 9: The events were appropriate and of some value, but entirely secondary to the class and its content. 10: I really enjoyed our guest lecturer Monday evening. It would have been nice to have more lectures like that. 11: Evening lectures very good. 10) Any final thoughts? Did you get your money’s worth?
1: It was excellent. I felt I definitely got my money’s worth. 2: To read more than Bamber Gascoigne, especially general overviews about the history of printing. 3: It was the best course I’ve t
aken at RBS (I’ve had 3) because it used a lot of good examples (not slides!) and had a variety of activities. 4: Yes [got my money’s worth]. 5: Well worth the time -- yes, I received my money’s worth. Number of respondents: 11
There were five rare book librarians (46%), two general librarians with some rare book duties (18%), one full-time student, one antiquarian bookseller, one rare book collector, and one person working on a collection of images for publication (9% each). |