1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: Very helpful. 2: Extremely useful. I read both required and optional readings. 3: Excellent. Very useful reading, thoughtfully arranged. Would have been better to have this year's reading list earlier. I completed two substantial items from the 1998 Reading List only to discover that they had been dropped for this class. 4: The readings were very useful, and their being assignments encouraged me to read them and to take notes on them. 5-6: Very useful. 7: They were a fun read. I would consider them essential for librarians without legal history experience. 8: Very useful; wish there had been more. 9: Very useful as background information. 10: Very useful. 11: Very. 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: They will be extremely helpful, particularly the bibliographic material. 2: Very appropriate and will be very useful in the future. 3: Very appropriate, and I anticipate use. 4: Yes. I am delighted that I will return to work with several new bibliographies and Website lists. 5: Yes. 6: Materials were useful in class, and many will be very useful in the future at work. 7: Very. 8-9: Yes. 10: Yes, will use them frequently for reference. 11: Yes. 12: Definitely appropriate and useful -- I'm sure they will remain so for some time.

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

1: The level of teaching and discussion was very helpful to me and, based on class discussions, was beneficial to the class. 2: Yes. 3: Good level. Teachers and students contributed to the high level. 4: I believe so. 5: I thought it was superb. 6: Yes! 7: Yes -- I especially enjoyed the interchange between students with each other and faculty. 8-12: Yes.

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

1: Visit to the Law Library's rare book collection was wonderful. 2: Extremely well spent -- very informative and sparked wider discussion both inside and outside the class. 3: Yes. Visit to Law Library included chance to view and handle rare items discussed as well as a chance to observe their facility. 4: I enjoyed our field trip, but I don't think it added much to the course. 5: Yes. 6: Yes -- very interesting field trip to the law school. 7: I would have preferred more time, and perhaps an assignment, in UVa's legal collection. 8-11: Yes. 12: Definitely.

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?

1-11: Yes. 12: For the most part -- variations and tangents are to be expected with diverse groups.

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: Class discussions, and discussions outside, were very informative and enjoyable. Meeting others in the profession was the highlight of the course. 2: I found the class interaction extremely informative. Time allowed for class discussion was always useful and generated many ideas. 3: Expert instructors. 4: The chance to devote a week to concentrated study with peers and experts in my field. 5: Learning more about the subject. 6: Excellent teaching. Meeting fellow students. 7: The opportunity to learn from major rare law book librarians and to ask lots of questions. Keep the discussion format! 8: Anecdotes, &c. from the instructors' vast experience, the congeniality of the other members of the class. We bonded into a special group that made the class an excellent experience. 9: Lively class discussion. 10: Having the opportunity to share the expertise of MC and DW. 11: Instructors -- superb. Fellow classmates -- a nice mix -- book dealer particularly useful. 12: The openness of discussion: expertise of students.

7) How could the course have been improved?

2: I don't see how this course could be improved. 3: Mix of students was mostly constitutional law librarians. A few persons with other interests would have invigorated discussion. 5: Mix of directed lecture as well as the wonderful discussion. 7: Limiting the discussion of English law to one full day would have made it easier to follow. 8: Dancing girls always help. 9: Perhaps an early lecture on the development of common law in Britain and into America. (Some of this lecture was given, but it might help to sort of lump it all together.) Readings were useful for this, but a lecture might also give the context for the books. 10: I would have enjoyed perhaps more substantive lecture time from the two instructors, and less class participation time. This would have maximized exposure to their expertise in the time available. 11: Don't know. As with all RBS courses you wish they were longer. 12: Slightly more lecture and less discussion.

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?

3: Classroom handling was properly handled. 5: None. 7: It wasn't a problem. 8: None. We visited the law school's facility and it was handled well by the staff there. 9: None. 10: Handling was fine. 11: No worries. 12: N/A.

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: Could you do something about the weather? (Not so hot and humid and no thunderstorms.) 2: I thoroughly enjoyed the outside activities -- the quality was superb. 3: RBS activities were beneficial. Especially the lecture and videos. 4: I enjoyed Bookseller and Study Night very much. 5: Having the undivided attention of a group of believers is seldom well served to be told they will perish. I found TB's lectures focused only on the negative with no ideas of positive construction. 7: I would have preferred more "book history" lectures. I really enjoyed the Sunday lecture. 8: Receptions and Bookseller Night were best. The facility used for hosting events needs to be larger. Often it became far to crowded and stuffy and I needed to leave the room. 9: Sunday dinner -- very enjoyable -- will attend other RBS lectures this summer (Charlottesville resident). 10: Always enjoy Bookseller Night. 11: This time did Sunday night dinner and lecture and Bookseller Night. RBS will really have to stop thunderstorms on Bookseller Night. 12: I'm glad they're optional.

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

1: Definitely! 2: I got my money's worth plus. I recommend this course to anyone working in the area of librarianship. 3: Yes. I got my money's worth. Rest up in advance. Don't try to travel on Sunday before or Friday evening. Complete all the readings. 4: Yes! 5: Yes. 6: Absolutely. 7: Most definitely! This was the best use of my travel budget in years. 8: Yes. I plan on coming back annually. 9: Yes. 10: Yes, definitely. 11: Yes in spades -- will be coming to RBS until I am senile. 12: I think my institution got it's money's worth -- but time will tell.

Number of respondents: 12

There were three rare book librarians (25%), five general librarians with some rare book duties (42%), two antiquarian booksellers (17%), one retired individual (8%), and one technical services librarian with substantial rare book duties (8%).

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