1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: They were interesting and useful. 2: Very useful references. 3-4: Very useful. 5: I would consider the readings mandatory; even if you are familiar with the subject(s), it would be easy to hold the rest of the class back if one did not read the corresponding literature. 6: Very -- I think I would even have been willing to do more. 8: Very helpful.

2) Were the course syllabus and other materials distributed in class useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?

1-2: Yes. 3: Yes -- materials will be enormously useful, thanks very much! 4: Yes. 5: All materials were appropriate and delivered in an organized and efficient format. 6: CD will be very useful, as well as resources on a DS course Web site. There are perhaps a few more things I would like to see on the Web site -- mostly other Web sites, institutions, &c. that we discussed in class. 7: Yes, very much so. 8: Yes. Very informative.

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

1-5: Yes. 6: Yes. Very much so. While I only have a limited background in XML and am not working in this field, everything was so well explained that I felt extended but never lost. 7-8: Yes.

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

1, 3-4: Yes. 5: The visit to the electronic imaging labs was excellent. 6: Absolutely. I was particularly interested to see the digitizing equipment &c. for the Etext Center. It was all quite fascinating -- I have to say I was impressed with the UVa library in general. 7: Yes.

5) What did you like best about the course?

1: Situating XML within the history of electronic text. 2: A very thorough review and introduction to the field, with particular attention to the potential (remarkable) of XML. 3: Beautifully clear descriptions and demonstrations extremely well organized. 4: Practical application of many resources and time to familiarize myself with them. 5: I was able to harvest all the information I needed to approach my institution's projects. 6: The materials covered and content were excellent. A really good balance. (I think as more people become familiar with this stuff in general, less time could be spent the first day on an XML overview.) I must say though that DS definitely made the course. I have rarely had someone so clear, excited, knowledgeable, and charming as an instructor, especially not in a "tech" area. If he taught Chaucer, I'd jump at the chance to take it, and I'm not fond of Chaucer. 7: The proactive and hands-on practice the course provides, plus the interesting source material. 8: DS's knowledge and experience. He gave us the big picture and the details about XML and digital libraries.

6) How could the course have been improved?

4: Not sure. 5: Unfortunately, the class could not be spread out over two weeks. 6: I don't know -- I'll think about it, and if anything comes to mind -- I'll let you know. 7: Less time at looking at the scanning equipment and more time on explaining TEI and EAD.

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?

5: The handling of books was a concern for me. No rare books were damaged during this course. 6: N/A. 8: The computer room is perfect.

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

1: Yes! 5: N/A. 8: No.

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

1: Yes -- it was interesting and enjoyable. 3: (I went Monday.) Enjoyed this very much. 5: N/A. 8: No.

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

1: Definitely got my (institution's) money's worth. I hope to take more RBS classes. 2: Yes. 3: Yes. One of the best courses I've ever taken. 4: Yes -- would recommend for others. 5: If your institution is starting a digitizing project, I can't think of a more appropriate class and instructor to present the standards and most up-to-date technology available. 6: In spite of the fact that I was not sharing the expenses with an institution, I cannot think of a better way that I could have spent time or money better. This has been a wonderful experience for me and absolutely suited to my personal plans. This entire week has been an extremely valuable and positive experience for me -- I can't praise it highly enough. 7: The week was fascinating, though imaging elements were not applicable to my role, but were for the rest of the class. 8: Yes.

Number of respondents: 08

There were two rare book librarians (25%), one archivist or manuscript librarian (12.5%), one teacher or professor (12.5%), one digital initiatives librarian (12.5%), one law librarian with archival and Special Collections responsibilities (12.5%), one Content Service Provider (12.5%), and one college administrator (12.5%).

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