1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: They were suitable. 2: Very. 3: Most useful; would have been lost otherwise. 4: The Gascoigne was extremely helpful even though I didn't understand everything. I cannot imagine arriving to this course without any preparation. 5: Excellent, particularly Gascoigne. 6: Very useful, essential, could not have got so much from the class without the reading. 7: Gascoigne was essential. Mayor was also very useful for some context. 8: Without much prior knowledge Gascoigne is difficult. A book on print processes plus Gascoigne might be more useful. 9: Gascoigne was essential reading, but I'm sure I'll understand it more with a second reading. 10: Very useful. I plan to re-read Gascoigne and will get even more out of it.

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: Yes. 2: Yes, very. 3: Very useful. 4: Will be extremely helpful in the future. 5: Very appropriate and absolutely necessary considering the volume of material covered. 6: Yes. 7: Absolutely -- the bibliography alone will be extremely helpful. 8: Yes. 9: Yes, especially the reading list. 10: Yes -- very useful. I always especially value the reading list.

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

1: Yes. The course was a much welcomed change from the drab that seems so prevalent in many workshops, courses, &c. offered at present at other various institutions, &c. 2: Yes. 3: So high as to be over my head, but some sunk in. 4: Very good. 5: Excellent and most appropriate. 6-7: Yes. 8: Absolutely! 9: Yes. 10: Yes -- challenging.

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

1-9: N/A. 10: We had labs -- very useful.

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?

1-3: Yes. 4: Exactly. 5-6: Yes 7: Very much so. 8-10: Yes.

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: The prints. The instructor. The hands-on labs. 2: The instructor's presentation, knowledge, humor, and recognition of the difficulty of the subject matter. 3: The background knowledge of the instructor. 4: Looking at so many illustrations; helpful hints on how to identify a technique (there is not much of that in Gascoigne). 5: Teaching packets/labs/"hands-on" experience. 6: Seeing so many real examples of prints. An expert teacher. 7: The ability to look at soooo many examples and have them explained in context was priceless. 8: The hands-on packets. 9: The mix of looking at examples and our own attempts at duplicating the processes. 10: The amazing number of examples. I can't imagine a better set-up for learning the information.

7) How could the course have been improved?

1: Difficult to say. It would be difficult to improve. Truly an excellent course! 2: I could have used some more time to absorb the lessons. 3: You are working on more space, so.... 4: I wish it could last two weeks, and thus have more time to spend on each technique (wish probably not realistic, though). 5: Larger physical space. 6: The course was very well taught and organized -- can't imagine any improvement needed. 7: Everything moved like a well-oiled machine. I can't think of one area. 8: I don't think it can!

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: Perhaps a larger room and larger tables. 3: Little slips of paper stuck in books, are they acid free? 5: Larger space, so that materials do not get piled up. 10: None -- mylar was great.

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.).

2: The lecture was great. I would prefer Bookseller Night on Thursday. Many of us were too tired from initial information overload early in the week and had to collapse Tuesday. I would have enjoyed Study Night very much, but had too much work to do on my linoblock -- more hours of cutting needed. 3: Dinner and lecture good. Bookseller Night was OK. Videos useful. 4: Interesting and pleasant. 5: Enjoyed opportunities to get to know other members of my class -- however, found it difficult to get to know other RBS attendees. Perhaps more "social" activities -- group lunches, &c. 6: Very high quality and informative. 7: I liked Study Night a great deal and am glad it's been added to the schedule. A great way to see other examples in the RBS collections. 8: Bookseller Night and the social interchanges between class hours. 9: It would have been nice if the lecture had been in the Rotunda rather than Clemons. 10: I enjoyed these -- like the opportunity to see the collections at Study Night and to meet students in other classes.

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

1: I most certainly got my money's worth, and I'll most definitely encourage my colleagues to attend. 2: Yes. Very worthwhile, and I look forward to trying to identify prints with my increased knowledge. 3: Very much worth the money; one of the few classes I have taken that was. 4: Yes. 5: Worth every penny -- would definitely advise anyone working with rare books, prints, or graphics, in general, to take the course...can't wait to take other offerings. 6: Very good value -- the best course I have ever attended. Do the pre-course reading. 7: Absolutely. Gascoigne is truly essential for reference at every stage in one's knowledge. 8: Absolutely! I suggest that the prior course reading list be expanded and that students spend maximum time reading prior to the course. 9: Yes. Don't worry if you can't understand Gascoigne with the first reading. 10: Yes, definitely!

Number of respondents: 10

There were two rare book librarians (20%), two archivists or manuscript librarians (20%), three general librarians with some rare book duties (30%), two conservators, binders or preservation librarians, and one book-collector (10%).

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