1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: Very relevant. 2: I only read three of the books before. (The reading list contained a total of twenty- four.) I found them quite useful, especially the one on printing by MT. 3: Yes. 4: Very useful reading list; will acquire most titles for my library. 5: They were very useful -- gave me good basis of information and a good idea of content for the class. 7: 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: Yes, on both counts -- very useful, will be applied immediately. 2-4: Yes. 5: Very useful in class. 6: Almost all of the handouts are valuable -- some more so than others. Several will be invaluable to future actions in my home library. 7: Yes.

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

1-4: Yes. 5: Very well paced for a diverse class. 6: For me it was spot-on. 7: Yes.

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

1: Yes, always find Special Collections materials complement classroom lectures. 2: Yes, we went to Special Collections. 3: Yes -- very much so. One of the best sessions. 4: It was time very well spent; instructor identified one or two important items in Special Collections that will now receive particular attention by library. 5: Yes. 7: Yes.

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?

1-7: Yes.

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: Discussion of cataloging (description) of printed ephemera and efforts to standardize language usage and descriptions. 2: The hands-on work with examples and discussion of typefaces. 3: When we used actual objects -- rather than slides. 4: MT's breadth of knowledge about subject as well as his excellent teaching style. 5: Lots of information combined with excellent visual materials. 6: 1. MT. 2. Ditto. 3. MT and his encyclopedic knowledge of the world of ephemera was very important. That coupled with his superb teaching style and personal affability, made this class as delightful as it was informative. 7: MT is exceedingly knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

7) How could the course have been improved?

1: Hard to find anything to suggest -- except MT might speak a bit slower; sometimes hard to understand. Also, though interesting, intro summaries of case study companies could be shortened to give more time to focus on ephemera. 2: I would have liked a more didactic approach to cataloging as opposed to the round table discussions we had. 3: I think we could have done without the slide presentations on Huntley and Palmer and Ransome's -- which meant to be an example -- they really were too specific to spend two sessions on, and the time might have better been spent on something with a wider appeal. 4: Only by breaking it into two week- long sessions. 5: Better collections to illustrate materials -- more actual exposure to processes. 6: Can't think. 7: I could use a section on how to "sell" ephemera to library administration -- the politics of this are useful to me -- I have to fight to collect this material.

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: Much care taken for proper handling (everything in mylar). 4: Perhaps the use of more transparent envelopes/folders to enclose items that are passed around the class. 5: No suggestions -- collections were handled sensibly. 7: No recommendations.

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: Well planned and enjoyable. 2: The Monday evening lecture was the most valuable for me because I learned about the Folger's collection development. Bookseller Night could have been a more organized field trip type effort. 3: Didn't participate in any of the activities. 4: N/A. 5: I thought the evening events could have been better conceived -- more lectures, less do-it-yourself learning. 6: I enjoyed the lecture and found the other activities less interesting and less robust than during the summer. 7: All enjoyable -- Study Night was especially enjoyable.

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

1: Worth double and more!! Excellent course from a real master teacher. Well organized, excellent handouts, generous sharing by MT beyond expectation. Wonderful opportunity to learn from a passionate expert. 2: Yes. I think more people should bring or have online examples of their own collection materials so we can learn more about the variety and treatment of ephemera. 3: Yes. 4: Yes. MT's class is an excellent introduction to the subject of ephemera; certainly one of the best RBS courses offered. 5: Absolutely. MT is an inspired teacher and it was an honor to tap into his mind and his enthusiasm. 6: Absolutely!! 7: Yes -- I would pay my own money for this experience. Best vacation I have had for a long time.

Number of respondents: 07

There were four rare book librarians (58%), one archivist or manuscript librarian (14%), one full-time student (14%), and one former bookseller (14%).

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