1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: Very useful. The readings clarified any questions that I still had after class. 2: The readings were relevant and useful. Roderick Cave was difficult to read, but full of information. I especially enjoyed the style of Anthony Rota, I also liked having to re-read Gaskell. 5: Very. Without reading, many aspects would have been harder to follow/appreciate. Add the Twyman History to list.

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: I enjoyed the materials distributed in class. They presented a rare opportunity to see how certain products are made. 2: Yes they were. An exit reading list is something that could be useful for the future. 3: Very appropriate and very useful for future reference. 4: Yes. Very helpful during class and will use in future. Quality of reproductions not great, but workable. 5: Yes. There was talk of a post-class reading list.

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

1: Yes. We did several exercises that stimulated ideas and deeper thinking about things that might have previously been taken for granted. 2: Yes. I think that it suited all class members, even though we were varied in background. 3: Yes. 4: I would have liked more intellectual depth and engagement, but I'm coming from the wrong background to make an informed judgement about this. 5: Yes. Although one could go on forever.

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

1: Yes. Special Collections materials, exhibits, and the Rotunda exhibits added a lot to the course. 2: I was very appreciative of the opportunity to see outstanding examples from UVa's Special Collections. This is extremely valuable and important. 3: Yes. 4: Yes, very useful and appropriate. 5: Yes. It helped support lecture/reading.

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. The course content was pleasantly exactly as described. 2: Yes it did. There was lots of information to cover and the instructor did an excellent job of organizing the information. He also made effective use of examples and various RBS pieces. 3: Very closely. 4: Yes. 5: Yes. I wish more time could have been spent on the c19 and early c20.

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: The instructors natural ability to share and stimulate ideas and the viewing of the exhibits and Special Collections materials/RBS materials. 2: This course cleaned up confusions that I have had about c19 and c20 printing and illustration processes. I also really valued the tone that the instructor set in the class -- it was very comfortable and respectful. 3: The teacher's enthusiasm and obvious hands-on expertise. 4: I loved the hands-on, process-based, technology-oriented, see-it-change-over-time style of learning. Fascinating and most useful for my work. 5: Examination of the books at the end of each class.

7) How could the course have been improved?

1: I would like to show actual examples of the effects of the bleach agents used in wood pulp paper as seen today and discuss further the types/processing of paper that publishers are using today. Offer a tour of Preservation. 2: Again, I would have liked an exit reading list. I have found these useful in the past with other courses. 3: Possibly by providing magnifying glasses for examining book illustrations. 4: Perhaps more rigor and depth on aesthetic side -- not just judging a book by whether its design is good or bad, but even more on specific motifs, methods, movements from an academic angle. But again, that's a skewed angle, and probably not what you have in mind. 5: Less emphasis on e-books, electronic discussion and more on great books of the c19 and early c20.

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 thought that RBS did a good job addressing this issue. 2: No comment here, except that I am very impressed with the usefulness of these collections. 3: None. 4: EH was extremely solicitous for the well-being of the books. Perhaps individual cradles would have been nice, though. 5: Instructor emphasized the need to exercise CARE. We did!

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: I think that Study Night should be more fully described as an opportunity to see RBS displays and displays from other RBS classes. 2: I always find these valuable. I particularly like Study Night since that gives me an opportunity to poke around in the RBS collections and get ideas for other classes that I might want to take. 3: Evening activities were both enjoyable and informative. Have not been able to find much on Bookseller Night, probably due to prior RBS courses having raised my threshold. 4: I liked lunch today! Wasn't able to do much else because of family obligations and deadlines (sorry). 5: Enjoyed evening talk and Video Night. The bookshops were disappointing -- poor stock.

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

1: Highly recommended. 2: Yes -- I definitely got my institution's money's worth. 3: Yes. An excellent course, and a great complement to the RBS course on the book to 1800. 4: Terrific overall. Come with some basic bibliographic knowledge. 5: Yes. The examples were excellent. I wish there were films or a better way to explain some of the more complex printing processes, especially photo-offset.

Number of respondents: 05

There was one rare book librarian (20%), one general librarian with some rare book duties (20%), one full-time student (20%), one conservator/binder/preservation librarian (20%), and one book-collector (20%).

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