1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: Very relevant. 2: Very useful. I would have appreciated the list a bit earlier, and some books were difficult to find, but of the items I did find, the material was relevant, explanatory, and enjoyable. 3: The readings, particularly the first three "required," were extremely important to the class. Subsequent readings also very good. I could not get hold of all the books, and I wish the list had been posted earlier. 4: Very useful. 5: They were most useful, and deserving of review in light of the course. 6: Quite useful! Most of the information from the reading list was used directly in class. 7: Very useful and manageable. I found that all the material was easily obtainable. 8-9: Very useful. 10: Essential. 11: Excellent readings. Michelle Brown's books should have been on the first 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: Handouts were fine -- but CD was a fantastic idea! I am most grateful! 2: Yes! Yes! Yes! The materials included pages of resource guides and exercises to help us with future inquiries. 3: Very helpful, worthy of keeping for future referral. I'm particularly glad of the reference book title pages and tables of contents, which will help in adding to my institution's reference collection. 4: Extremely appropriate and useful. 5: Very useful and helpful, especially the CD. 6: Yes! I'll be able to use them in future work and teaching. 7: Yes. They were helpful. They will be useful in the future. 8-9: Yes. 10: Both. 11: Yes. Very good handouts.

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

1: Yes. BAS did a fabulous job of asking the class questions and facilitating group interaction. BAS is extremely knowledgeable and was happy to share. She is joyfully enthusiastic, and it spread. 2: Yes. 3: Yes, challenging and understandable. 4: Yes. 5: Yes! 6-9: Yes. 10: Excellent, beyond appropriate. 11: Totally. This was a useful course, with excellent visuals and examples.

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

1: Our field trip to the Library of Congress and the Folger was a real treat. Well worth the van ride to DC from Charlottesville. We got to view items that most never see. 2: Yes, definitely -- it offered a varied set of examples for us to understand terminology and techniques. 3: Very well spent. Our field trip to DC was well worth the long drive there and back. 4: Yes. 5: The trip to the Library of Congress and the Folger were definitely helpful for the course, and we got to see some really astounding things that I don't think I would ever have seen otherwise. 6: Yes. I am most grateful for the opportunity to see more original materials in Special Collections at UVa, and in Washington, DC. 7: Yes. The visits to the Library of Congress and the Folger were well organized and instructive. 8-10: Yes. 11: Absolutely! The visits to the Folger and Library of Congress were once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

5) What did you like best about the course?

1: Everyone was so different in background and added unique and intriguing perspectives. 2: The energy of the class and teacher, the materials and the examples that covered many aspects of the Middle Ages. The worksheets and opportunity to test our knowledge as we progressed with the class. The CD that we were given to consult when we returned home. 3: The instructor, BAS, presented the class in a very open format that encouraged discussion from the moment class started. The mix of students also was well balanced with lots of different backgrounds and contributions. 4: Excellent rapport of instructor with entire and very diverse class. 5: BAS was very helpful and brought a wide range of experience to her lectures combining pertinent details with an overview of the subject. Her expertise, plus the objects we were able to see first hand, made for a great course. 6: The way the instructor presented the material, her enthusiasm for the subject, and engaging method of teaching. 7: It was a good overview of paleography and the various manifestations of the book. It will be good preparation for the next history-of-the-book class. 8: A scholarly approach to the development of books with an emphasis on particular points of importance, rather than an attempt to cover the whole field. A serious course taught in an engaging and relaxed manner. 9: I enjoyed learning about the development of scripts. Excellent examples were given. The trip to the Library of Congress and the Folger was extremely informative. 10: The instructor made me feel as though I knew something about the subject, and gave me more; then provided even more for future reference. 11: Instructor, presentation of material, use of visual aids, handouts, all outstanding.

6) How could the course have been improved?

2: The only issue was time, but I do not see how we could improve on that. 3: It could have another section to come back and take to continue study of the subject. 5: A little more about binding could be useful. 6: The course was excellent! I hope that it will be offered again in future. 7: The course could be improved by reducing the emphasis on paleography somewhat. 8: Nothing particular to improve. A good syllabus for five days. 10: Not enough time in the week to pore over delicious manuscripts; there are just so many to appreciate. 11: Don't know.

7) 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?

2: None -- I thought much care was taken to ensure safety of materials. 3: Everything was handled well. 4, 7: None. 10: It was fine.

8) If you attended the Sunday and/or Monday night lectures, were they worth attending?

1-4: Yes. 5: The Sunday night lecture was a worthwhile overview of the state of RBS. 6: Yes. 7: Yes, but Monday night was a little long; Sunday is always interesting because I'm interested in how RBS is doing. 10: Yes. 11: Monday was very good. Did not attend Sunday lecture.

9) If you attended Study Night, was the time profitably spent?

1: Yes. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to handle the myriad of materials that are arranged and set out. 2: Yes -- added to knowledge base beyond subject of the class. 3: Yes; I thought the Jane Eyre exhibit was great. 4: Yes. 5: Yes, I enjoyed especially the presentation of the Linotype machine. 6-7,10: Yes. 11: Yes, very informative.

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

1: Absolutely! :) It is such a great experience to be around so many new people that have a bookish interest -- wonderful to have a professor after you've read her books. 2: Yes -- I might suggest that you advise people on daily cost to create a budget for attendance. 3: Yes. 4: Yes. 1) Some foundation in medieval Latin almost essential given the amount of time devoted to the identification of saints. 2) Everyone should remember to bring their copy of Michelle Brown. 5: I got more than my money's worth -- indeed it was priceless. 6: Absolutely! Thank you for the wonderful experience. 7: More than money's worth. 8: Yes. 9: Yes, RBS gets better every year! 10: Yes, I will definitely recommend this course to others. 11: No question -- I certainly did. This should be a required course for all rare book librarians.

Number of respondents: 11

There were four rare book librarians (37%), two book-collectors (18%), one archivist or manuscript librarian (9%), one general librarian with no rare book duties (9%), one teacher or professor (9%), one antiquarian bookseller (9%), one book appraiser (9%).

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