1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: Excellent choices, particularly Anthony Rota's. Steinberg and Gaskell appropriate and useful. Reviewed both for this course. 2: The amount and content of the pre-course readings were both fine. Doing the readings in the order listed was an excellent way to prepare for the course. Anthony Rota's Apart from the Text was a gem. 3: Readings were useful. Rota was especially readable. Steinberg and Gaskell were good for background. Have not had a chance to read The Private Press yet. 4: Readings were very useful and well-selected. They will definitely help me in my research. 5: The pre-course readings were excellent. 6: Very applicable and helped me to understand course content. Especially enjoyed Rota's book -- a pleasant and also informative read. 7: The readings were very helpful in terms of background. Material covered in class was more familiar and meaningful as a result. 8: Very useful. 9: Gave a good background and complemented in-class discussion. 10: Useful. 11: Very. Good overview to put things into perspective and chronologically.

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: The bound package of relevant material an excellent idea, much improved over handing out loose pages. Some of the content, e.g. half-tone discussion could have been improved. 2: The syllabus was bare bones and could be fleshed out. The handout that EH created and distributed to us is great, and it will be a reference tool for me when I'm back at the library. 3: Handout was useful and will be kept for reference. 4: Materials were helpful, especially the booklet of visual aids. 5: Yes. 6: Yes. Very helpful diagrams and explanations of unfamiliar processes that made it possible to follow instruction, included time line which helped place events (when present -- a little incomplete). 7: Yes, they were useful. The workbook especially. 8: OK. 9: Very useful. 10: Useful and appropriate. 11: Booklet showing methods of printing, machines used, and time line very effective.

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

1: Yes, could have been pitched a bit higher, more detailed. 2: I thought I knew a good bit of what was discussed, so I think the intellectual level could be upped a bit. 3: Yes. 4: Yes. Course has really developed my knowledge base about topic and will be useful in my classes. 5-6: Yes. 7: Yes. In addition to the course content we had many provocative and thought-provoking discussions. 8: OK. 9: It was a good balance of historical, literary, and technological context. 10: On the mark. 11: Yes.

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

1: Yes, three visits to Special Collections. Well organized. Would have been nice to have handled (gently of course) some of the less fragile stuff. 2: Yes. 3: Special Collections visits were a highlight of the class. 4: We went to Special Collections three times. This really helped to clarify classroom discussion and make the experience more memorable. 5: For the most part yes; however, the instructor at points seemed to search for material it seems he should have been better familiar with. 6: Yes -- we got to see books relevant to discussion in class and examples made fuller understanding possible. Saw lots of stuff and variety helpful. 7: Definitely. 8: Yes, very useful. 9: Extremely. 10: Very well spent. 11: Excellent. So good to see visuals in order to understand a history course.

5) What did you like best about the course?

1: Opportunity to study and compare RBS collection of c19 and c20 books. 2: The handbook (mentioned in question two) was very good. The in-class exercises were also good; the 22 step lithographic process example was the single most memorable thing. 3: Being able to see actual books, part issues, chromolithographic plates, &c. Enjoyed hearing classmates' comments and experiences. Liked the class exercises using books. 4: Special Collections visits and other book sources in the classroom. 5: The hands-on exercises and visits to Special Collections. 6: Involved a good deal of original materials and examples from different periods that gave a much better feel for what we were discussing and read about. Films also very helpful. 7: The ability to see and handle interesting material and hear the instructor's lectures. 8: My notes from the class (class was well organized) which I will use as reference material. 9: Opportunity to practice and apply knowledge learned in book examination exercises. 10: The instructor. 11: What RBS has acquired -- seeing books in the various stages of being made. Illustration, binding, lithography -- an invaluable teaching collection. Trips to Special Collections.

6) How could the course have been improved?

1: Pace of lectures could have been stepped up. More information, fewer pauses. 2: Rather than just EH reacting to our team analysis of a book it would have been educational for us to switch off examples to see what our peers could find. 3: I would have preferred more detail and history on designers, publishers, famous books, movements, and less time spent on technical processes. The Janson exercise took too long -- shorten to half an hour or so. 4: It was hard for everyone to get a good and close enough look at Special Collections. Maybe arrangement could be modified. 5: The instructor needs to better familiarize himself with the specific technologies upon which this course is founded. He is not in good command of c20 technological developments. 6: Use of book cradles in classroom work would have helped keep books at correct opening level and allowed more effort in examination of book. Include even more information on time line. 7: Better air conditioning. 8: It was fine. 9: Working demonstrations of technologies used in bookcrafts. 10: To have better demonstrations (films?) of some of the various presses discussed. 11: Instructor could have been better prepared. Read a lot from notes. A little disorganized.

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?

1: None. Teaching materials need to be handled, and if that reduces life span, that is the price of learning. 2: Larger tables so that we have plenty of room for our notebooks and the examples. 3: Instructor was diligent about proper handling of material. 4: I felt our class handled the selections well. No lecturing can replace actually getting to see and handle the material. 5: The instructor took great pains to ensure proper handling of materials. 6: Use book cradles as individuals in classroom -- see above. 7: Foam supports and weights to more safely display the items upon individual examination. 9: A better arrangement for the viewing of items. 10: None. Well done as was. 11: Don't change anything. Show off the fine collection you've got.

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

1: Yes for Sunday. The Monday lecture was completely incomprehensible to me. I have no idea what the lecturer was trying to say. 2: Each of these seemed less polished and less interesting than those of previous years. 3: Monday night lecture was almost too intellectual. I enjoyed TB's lecture much more! 4: Yes. 5: Yes -- however, the Monday night lecture immediately following upon the heels of an all day class seemed a bit squeezed. The time needs to be reconsidered. 6: Yes -- Monday's lecture enjoyed but not able to hear complete sentences and spoiled impact and continuity of talk at times. 7: I attended Monday night's and it was interesting. 8: Yes. 9: For the most part. 10: Yes. 11: Yes.

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

1: Very much so. This is a new RBS feature for me and I thought it excellent. 2: Yes. 3: Yes -- especially enjoyed Heart-o-Linotype demonstration and Jane Eyre collection. 4: Yes. Linotype demonstration very helpful. 8: Yes. 9: Absolutely. 10: Yes. Learned a great deal. Some information learned helped tie loose ends together. 11: Yes.

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

1: Definitely. 2: Yes. 3: Yes, I felt I got my money's worth. Course description should make clear that class is not a traditional "History of the Book." 4-5: Yes. 6: Absolutely! Good experience all the way through. 7: I definitely felt I received my money's worth. 9: Wonderful as always -- class was great for putting assorted knowledge in context. 10: More than my money's worth. I will highly recommend this course (if EH is teaching). 11: Have TB give his speech on Thursday nights -- great way to wrap up, and end RBS. Maybe two speeches, Sunday and Thursday. He is so eloquent and a wonderful speaker.

Number of respondents: 11

There were six rare book librarians (55%), one archivist or manuscript librarian (9%), one general librarian with some rare book duties (9%), one full-time student (9%), one conservator, binder, or preservation librarian (9%), and one book-collector (9%).

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