No. 16: Rare Book Cataloging

12-16 July 1999

1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: The readings were helpful. 2: Very useful - Gaskell especially so (on collation). 3: They were very useful, and helped me understand terms which I might not have known otherwise during class. 4: Gaskell and Belanger were very useful. The Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarianship readings were ho-hum. Perhaps articles more directly related to the DCRB could be selected. 5: Very useful. 6: They were very useful, some much more than others, but all still essential. 7: Quite useful. They provided an orientation beforehand for someone without much background in rare books. 8: Very useful. 9: Somewhat useful. 10: They were helpful. 11: Very helpful. 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: The materials have been very instructive, and I’m already compiling a file to use as a reference source in the future. 2: Yes. 3: Yes. The workbook will be very useful. 4: Yes. DJL’s workbook is very useful, and I will keep it at my desk. 5: Absolutely. I’m sure I’ll use class materials at work constantly. 6: Absolutely indispensable. 7: Yes, especially all the examples. 8: Yes, very useful. 9: Yes - they were useful during RBS and should also prove to be useful in the future. 10: Yes. I will continue to consult the examples distributed. 11-12: Yes.

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

1-5: Yes. 6: Yes, quite so. 7-12: Yes.

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

1: The Web demonstration would have been good if it weren’t for the technical difficulties. 2: The field trip to the Media Center was not useful due to computer failure, although the intent was good. 6: Yes - a good break from routine is helpful. 7: The Web search was a bust - the computer was not responding. 9: The Web demo in Clemons Library encountered computer problems and had to be cut short. 11: 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?

1-10: Yes. 12: Yes.

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: The style was informative, but relaxed. We were able to work with examples, ask questions, and discuss techniques and issues. 2: The openness of the teacher towards answering questions at any level of understanding. The communication with other students on their policies, problems, and situations. 3: The hands-on exercises and practicum. Although I dreaded showing my ignorance, I actually learned a lot from them. 4: The practical and applied nature of the course. Good examples. 5: It’s hard to say. The instructor’s expertise and patience were extraordinary, and it was a well-chosen group of students. A very instructive and pleasant week. 6: I think the most enjoyable and challenging aspect was the various exercises and practicum, where we demonstrated what we had learned. 7: Plenty of time and openness to institution-specific questions. Meeting new contacts for future collaboration. 8: Appropriate, useful content. Good balance of lecture, discussion, and exercises. Class time was always enjoyable. The instructor was pleasant, had a good sense of humor, and interacted well with the class. 9: A dynamic, knowledgeable instructor who was also an excellent teacher of the material. 10: It gave a solid foundation in rare book cataloging and I will return to my library with a better overview. 11: Yes. 12: The lecture on DCRB.

7) How could the course have been improved?

2: A little more structure in the cataloging practicum would have been helpful, and a time limit would have indicated whether there was time to catalog another book. 3: More "show and tell" examples, although we had good samples of bindings and illustrations. 4: The last day was a little too loose. More instruction, please. Just give us the Website addresses to search on our own (for homework). The politics of Special Collections was unnecessary. 5: Maybe a few more examples of really odd collations or formats. 6: More interludes. Dealing with other aspects of rare books (eg history). 7: More on issues involved in copy cataloging would have been helpful. 8: Can’t think of any way it can be improved. 10: Perhaps bindings should have been studied in another class since there was only time for a superficial introduction. 11: It was comprehensive. 12: More in-depth discussion of DCRB.

8) We are always concerned about the physical well-being both of the BAP’s 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: More book cradles. 3: More space around the table so we are sure not to pile things on top of one another. 8: I was very impressed by the materials we had in class. 10: More cushions for the books. 11: The lectures could have been prepared, and perhaps reviewed just before giving them, so as to flow more easily without so many pauses to read from notes.

9) Please comment on the quality/enjoyability of the various RBS activities in which you took part outside of class, eg Sunday afternoon tour, Sunday night dinner and videos, evening lectures, Bookseller Night, tour of the Alderman digital/electronic centers, &c.

1: The videos and lectures were quite interesting, although the room in Clemons was quite crowded. I would have appreciated more food and non-alcoholic drinks at the receptions. 2: The Sunday Night Dinner was a good opportunity to meet people before things started. The space for eating, however, was somewhat constrained. The Sunday Afternoon Walking Tour was a very good idea. 3: I enjoyed the Sunday Afternoon Tour and Sue Allen’s lecture most of all. The Sunday Night Dinner could be improved, although I understand the necessity of serving cold salads. 4: In general, I enjoyed them very much. I would suggest a different location for the Sunday Night Dinner. How about Special Collections? 5: Missed the tour and Sunday Night Dinner. Sue Allen’s lecture was fabulous. TB’s lecture instructive and amusing, G. Thomas Tanselle’s somewhat less so. The Rotunda exhibition was great. 7: I didn’t find the lectures particularly interesting except Sue Allen’s lecture on the book covers of Sarah Wyman Whitman. The Sunday Afternoon Walking Tour was very helpful to get us oriented to the campus. 8: Enjoyed it all! 10: Everything was well organized and nicely presented. 11: Breakfast and breaks were a great idea, and were well planned.

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

1: The training was invaluable in helping me to learn - in a short time - techniques and concepts that would be difficult and time-consuming to work out myself. I think so [got my money’s worth]. 2: I certainly would like to come again. Advice: the Travel & Housing Guide has very good advice. 3: Yes, I did get my money’s worth. 4: An extremely worthwhile experience and opportunity to exchange ideas with people in similar situations. 5: I would recommend the course without reservation. Absolutely [got my money’s worth]. 6: DJL is a wonderful and deeply knowledgeable teacher. Her exercises were done quite well, and greatly enlivened the class. They challenged us. 7: I imagine it would help if you took the course after having tried to do cataloging first so that you would have specific questions to clear up. Yes - I got my money’s worth. 8: Anyone needing to catalog rare books would benefit - it was well worth the time and money. 9: I definitely got my (institution’s) money’s worth - a week well spent! 10: Yes, it was worth my time and money. 11: Mostly [got my money’s worth]. 12: I would recommend the course.

Number of respondents: 12

There were four rare book librarians (33%) and eight general librarians with some rare book duties (67%).