1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: The pre-course reading was critical and extremely useful. 2: Gascoigne was essential to being able to follow the lectures. 3: Essential. 4: Very useful, would be even more useful if I'd read it twice. 5: It's much easier to follow the lectures if you've had a thorough read of Gascoigne first. But it's tough to get much from Gascoigne before taking the course. It was like learning medicine by reading the Merck manual. 6: The reading in advance was confusing, but did definitely provide familiarity -- without contempt. The last quarter of the book was extremely interesting and helpful even before the lectures. 7: It was necessary to be familiar with content and layout of Gascoigne; many of the confusing parts of the text were made clearer during the course. 8: Not only useful but necessary for an elementary understanding of the subject -- the more reading we did the better prepared we would be to understand print processes. 9: Essential. 10: Reading Gascoigne without actual examples is hard going, but I'm glad I was familiar with the text before arrival. 11: I only managed to get through Gascoigne but found it excellent. 12: 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: We used every page of the course syllabus, and other materials were useful (and fun). 2: Yes: well-chosen illustrations, handy timeline, bibliography for further study. 3: Yes. 4: Yes, very much so. 5: Absolutely -- and Gascoigne will be at hand. 6: Absolutely. Also for my absorption processes and learning abilities, I found it extremely enlightening and not humbling to study prints provided with answer sheets, rather than being frustrated. It was a reinforcing process. 7: The syllabus is concise and will be useful for future reference -- especially the bibliography. 8: Yes, syllabus useful in class and will be in future. 9: Yes. 10: Yes, but I would have liked a list of packets at the start, so I could have referred back to exact publications during the week. 11: Very helpful. 12: Yes.

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

1-3: Yes. 4: Yes, very much so. 5: Just right. 6: You bet! 7-10: Yes. 11: Yes, even better than anticipated. 12: 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?

1-4: Yes. 5: More time was spent on post-1890 processes than I expected or, frankly, wanted. 6-11: Yes. 12: Yes -- though the course emphasized c19 materials and prints (from the description, I thought that all printmaking periods from c15 to 1890 would be equally covered).

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: The hands-on use of examples to teach illustration processes. Can't understand if you can't see 'em. 2: Seeing the prints up close, and seeing so many examples of the various processes, was invaluable. Making the prints was not only fun but helped me to appreciate the skill of the craftsmen who made the prints. The organization of the course and explanations were excellent. 3: Hands-on aspect, both in mini printmaking sessions and in handling dozens (hundreds?) of examples and books. 4: Variety of material! And TB's way of teaching. 5: As much as I enjoyed making the relief cut, engraving, and etching, after examination of a couple of hundred prints, with an expert to explain what you were examining, was really super. 6: The revelations -- highlighting what I've been missing and much of what I shall probably continue to miss -- but an informed awareness has been cultivated and a confidence in some areas more than others -- especially those which had a special appeal to me. Plus -- the anecdotes and humor. 7: Real examples of printing techniques -- rather than reproductions. 8: Seeing many examples of processes and comparisons of processes; also the hands-on experience of creating prints was an invaluable experience! 9: Opportunity to examine examples. 10: In addition to being able to see and handle examples, with 10x and 30x magnification, and being able to try my hand at the techniques, I loved being in a room full of people all interested in learning. 11: The pace and content. 12: Instructor's humor; explanations in a very lively manner, access to prints while discussing their technique; small size of the class; ability to test intaglio and relief techniques by doing the actual printmaking process, which was useful to fully understand them.

7) How could the course have been improved?

1: Better Benday examples and explanation. 3: I confuse easily. I would have preferred to treat monochrome and color side-by-side, e.g., wood cuts/engravings, monochrome and color(ed). 5: Personally, I would have preferred sticking to the pre-1890 material and copies (fakes?) of it and less time on later and more esoteric processes. 6: Refer to comments in question two. It might be helpful to have half an hour with the opportunity to look at the prints or the test or in the folder with an expert to question. 9: Some book illustration processes were difficult to envisage, especially late c19 ones. Videos of the printing processes in operation? 11: By taking it a little slower which would have required more time. 12: Would it be possible to borrow the course textbook for the evening (Gascoigne) to be able to read it in hotel/dorm room after evening activities? Or, if it is not possible, could we be asked to bring our own copy?

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: Brava Ellie Shermer. 5: The rules in the syllabus were proper, but we should have read them carefully before handling prints. 6: I was surprised at the accessibility of the materials. 8: None. 9: More desk space - larger classroom. Surprised that students able to use pens while collection items were in circulation. 11: Given the space, it would be hard to provide flat surfaces for the larger items.

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: For those in TB's class, two additional TB lectures (Sunday and Monday) can be a lot, though the content was very interesting. Study Night was great for other collection high points. 4: All of it was very good, just by the end of the day hard to concentrate. 5: I particularly enjoyed Study Night and the chance to play with RBS treasures. 6: I appreciated and would prefer more Study Night opportunities. Sunday night was nicely done. 7: This provided an opportunity to network, and still be learning. 8: Sunday night dinner: company wonderful, food OK. Video Night: OK, too many people to view a TV screen. 9: Study Night/Video Night were essential, in that they allowed newly-learned knowledge to "sink in" in a more relaxed environment. 10: Study Night: I wish I'd arrived earlier in the evening -- an hour wasn't long enough to play. 11: Tour -- most enjoyable. Dinner -- I'm on a restricted diet and found the dishes too salty. Lecture -- excellent. Tuesday Bookseller Night -- did not participate. Study Night -- enjoyed working at my own pace. Video Night -- excellent choice and had a good laugh, "How do, Tosh"! 12: All were very interesting and instructive. The Sunday afternoon tour and Sunday night dinner were very nice to meet other RBS students.

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

1: Do the reading beforehand, and evviva Gascoigne. Thank you, TB, a startlingly informative experience. 2: Definitely. I can't imagine a better way to learn about identifying prints. 3: Money's worth? Definitely. Suggestion -- to emphasize importance of getting into the analytical way of thinking, ask participants to bring an example (or photocopy or description) of a relief, intaglio, and lithographic print. 4: If I had to I would definitely pay for it myself. I bought Gascoigne's book and brought it with me -- it's not necessary to carry it since it's on every table. 5: Money's worth? It's a bargain when you think of the resources poured into this course. 6: Not to be put off by a lack of professional training and extensive knowledge. 7: Definitely, anyone who works with prints and has not had a course in identification should take this course. 8: Yes. 9: A marvelous way to spend a week. 10: This is a fantastic course. Advice for future students: 1. Bring Gascoigne with you, even though it's heavy; you'll want it for bedtime reading. 2. Ask questions, and keep them short and to the point, there's no time for preliminaries, mumbling, and apologies. 11: Most certainly did. 12: Yes, very much so. It was an intensive but wonderful week. -- It is very important to read carefully the pre-course readings to fully take advantage of the course.

Number of respondents: 12

There were two rare book librarians (16%), two general librarians with some rare book duties (16%), two conservators, binders, or preservation librarians (16%), two bookcollectors (16%), one museum employee (9%), one television producer and director (9%), one cataloger (9%), and one art curator in a rare book library (9%).

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