No. 25: Introduction to Rare Book Librarianship

19-23 July 1999

1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: Readings were extremely useful for preparation, especially those written by the instructor. They also serve as future references. 2: Useful - I’m glad to have the list for future reference as well. 3: They were very good. 4: Yes, very useful. Some were somewhat dated (the instructor commented on this in the pre-course reading list). 5: Pre-course readings were quite useful, and they gave me a background to an unfamiliar area of study. 6: Very helpful. 7: I could get comprehensive knowledge. 8: Very useful. I’ll have my new staff members read some of them. 10: Very useful. The list was annotated, guiding me to choose readings. 11: I read over 80% of the pre-course readings, and found them very helpful in terms of giving me a foundation to the course. 12: Very useful. I read all that I could find (almost everything). 13: Completely appropriate to the course content.

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: This booklet, and the other additions which I picked up along the way, will serve as a constant guide and reminder. My notes add much, of course, and these will be my inspiration and guide. 2: Very appropriate and useful - something I’ll hang on to, and refer back to frequently, I imagine. 3: Yes, very much so. 4: Yes. The workbook will be helpful. It was put together well. 5: Materials were useful and I will pursue readings further, based upon them. 6: Yes. I will be able to use these materials long after I return to my institution. 7: The course syllabus was good. 8: Yes. I will continue to refer to them, and I’ll give relevant sections to my staff to read. 9: Absolutely - it gives a good checklist to work against. The bibliography and essays are great future resources. The syllabus layout was basic, but allowed expansion where necessary and relevant. 10: Yes. What I learned this week has been inspiring, and from the first day, I’ve been thinking of things to do with my collection. 11: Yes. The course syllabus and other materials were useful and appropriate, and they will be used as a reference source once I get back to work. 12: The workbook was useful. The discussion and essay on reference tools was very helpful. The exhibition catalogs and other UVa publications were also very useful as examples (for additions) to our collections. 13: Appropriate and useful.

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

1: Totally appropriate - we covered every base that I can think of, and it was all very satisfactory in my opinion. 2-3: Yes. 4: Yes. The instructor was especially conscious of making sure he was understood by all of the class members. 5: Yes. 6: Yes, very relevant to my position. The feedback from the instructor and my fellow students was appreciated and welcomed! 7: I was busy listening because of my language abilities. However, I got many things out of this course. 8: Yes, although it turned out to be a reification and consolidation of material that I’m conversant with. 9: Yes. Everyone’s perspective and experience was explored. 10-12: Yes. 13: Appropriate to the level of professional expertise demonstrated by each participant.

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

1: Time was well spent seeing "how the other half lives," for many reasons - not the least, Mr. Jefferson’s architectural rendering of the Rotunda! 2: I really enjoyed the visit to Special Collections. It is always great to see another place, meet another person, get another perspective, and be inspired by a wonderful collection. 3: Yes. 4: Very! We got to see many things we had discussed in class in action. It was also a starting point for other class discussions. 5: Absolutely. 6-8: Yes. 9: It was nice to see the treasures in Special Collections. They were a source of ideas, and generated critiques of their system. 10-11: Yes. 12: The Special Collections visit was very worthwhile. It was a bit frustrating, too, since we are understaffed and won’t be able to do as much to organize and promote our own collections. 13: 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: It did correspond, but the course gave much more than the description could identify. I was very pleased with the content, expecting somewhat less. 2-5: Yes. 6: DT’s course was an uplifting, relevant, and enjoyable experience! 7-11: Yes. 12: Yes - for those who are new to this. This survey course has a lot to cover, and it can’t allow more time for discussion, given time pressures. 13: Yes.

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: DT. Learning at the master’s feet: his vast experience, his studies, and his intellect coupled with a marvelous ability for storytelling. These abilities made him the ideal instructor for this course. 2: When the lectures opened up to general discussion, with student participation. DT’s humor kept the class lively. 3: I found DT’s numerous stories and anecdotes concerning various repositories to be extremely helpful, in formulating an impression about the profession as a whole. Rare book librarianship has an interesting history, and I was glad to hear about it. 4: The instructor’s obvious enthusiasm for the subject, his wonderful sense of humor, and his concern that the class would be able to ask questions about problems or concerns. 5: I will be thinking about the issues raised in this course as I go about my work. I am especially glad that we were not presented with "one size fits all" answers, and, instead, were encouraged to formulate our own answers to problems and questions based upon our own situations. 6: More question and answer time. Perhaps a few minutes to recap at the end of the day’s class. 8: 1. It served as a professional "review" for me - it was not so much a "getting started" in a Special Collections situation, but it gave me time to pause and think about where I am, what my institution is doing, what areas I would like to strengthen or change, &c. 2. My fellow classmates. DT did an excellent job of assembling an interesting, professional, and engaging group of students representing a full range of institutions and professional positions. 9: The perspectives of other students in similar positions, and the pooling of ideas and resources. 10: The trip to Special Collections. The relaxed and welcoming personality of the instructor. 11: The examples and life stories. Also, DT has so much experience as a librarian that he was able to address all of the issues that came up. He showed us that we, as Special Collections librarians, had something in common - and this is important. 12: The knowledgeable, irreverant, provocative, and humorous instructor. Storytelling helps us remember the points. We could have disagreed more often, and had more fruitful discussions if we had had the time. His service-before-preservation philosophy is refreshing, and will help me formulate policies at my institution. The networking possibilities are appreciated! We now have a group of colleagues and the instructor to contact for future e-mail discussions, questions, &c. 13: The instructor’s openness to all of the issues raised by the participants, as well as his willingness to share his experience and expertise generously.

7) How could the course have been improved?

1: Not even remotely! 2: I do feel that DT belabored obvious points, particularly earlier in the week. One or two examples/anecdotes are fine, but then I thought it was time to move on, especially when the point was common sense. I would also have enjoyed more class participation (ie, other points of view). He didn’t discourage this, but it wasn’t always easy to do. 3: I would have enjoyed the following: 1. An additional trip to Special Collections. 2. Going through BAP’s collections in the Rotunda (just to learn more about rare books). 3. Scheduled time for additional (directed) class discussion. 4. More about the social history of rare book librarianship. 4: The beginning of the course was somewhat slow-paced. More even pacing would help. 5: It would have been nice to hear about experiences from other class members that related to the issues brought up in class, but I can’t imagine how that could have been done in the short time we had. 7: This course consisted mainly of discussions. Slides, videos, and the use of other media encourage further understanding. 8: I would have liked to have had more contact with the rare books themselves, especially in the initial discussions. Seeing actual examples of book formats, types, &c. would have been helpful. 10: It’s a short time to pack all of the contents in. Make sure you interrupt DT to get your points made and your questions answered. 12: I think a bit more on the physical book would be a good idea (samples of bindings, paper, fonts, illustration for each century). A hands-on experience is always more effective than just talking about it. 13: A slightly longer duration (ie, two weeks) to permit between-session reflection and assimilation.

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?

1: None! 2: I didn’t have problems with how the materials were handled, and I would have liked to have seen more. 8: Fine. 11: No. I was not concerned about BAP’s teaching collection. 12: OK.

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: I could not be more impressed with the care and concern given to the RBS participants. Events were planned for every minute, giving us the opportunity to interact with fellow students, instructors, friends, and the students of UVa. I felt like I was being treated like a VIP - and I was a first timer. 2: Sunday Night Dinner was good - both the food and the chance to meet people. I enjoyed the videos, too, especially the evening lectures. Bookseller Night is a great idea, and was a lot of fun. 3: I particularly liked the videos, the evening lectures, Bookseller Night, and the Rotunda exhibition. The Sunday Night Dinner could have been held in another location, where it wouldn’t be so cramped. 4: Sunday Night Dinner was most enjoyable - good food, and a fun event. Bookseller Night: yes! A good way to socialize and (perhaps) learn something! 5: A very important part of the RBS experience, both in terms of learning and in terms of meeting others with similar interests. 6: I enjoyed Bookseller Night! 7: Bookseller Night was an interesting program. 8: All were very helpful experiences. 9: More information regarding handicapped facilities and services. A variety of fruit for breakfast (sell at cost?). 10: I always enjoy being immersed in all of the activities. They were all enjoyable. I always look forward to the Rotunda exhibit: the Dome Room is not going to waste. 11: I enjoyed all of the evening lectures, and I enjoyed Bookseller Night. 12: All events were well-organized, relevant, and enjoyable. I just regret not being able to see Monticello (but that’s my own fault for not arranging my schedule to include extra time for a tour). 13: Enjoyable and useful.

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

1: No thoughts! I got triple my money’s worth! 2: You won’t get specific answers from this course, but you’ll realize how many things there are to question and think about. I do feel I got my money’s worth, and I can’t wait to get back to work (!). 3: I definitely received my money’s worth, although not in the way I had originally intended. What I learned was that the course is only a starting point for me - I have much to learn, and in many ways it is my responsibility to continue this learning process. I can come to RBS and go to other courses, but I also need to incorporate it into my daily schedule. 4: Yes [got my money’s worth]. 5: My advice to others would be to consider taking this course as only a beginning to an RBS education that will continue after one returns home. Follow up on the ideas, cogitate on the issues, and apply what you learn. 6: I enjoyed DT’s course, and I look forward to taking other RBS courses in the future. 7: I recommend it. Yes [I got my money’s worth]. 8: Yes, I got my money’s worth - and more! 9: Great base on which to build. 10: Again, interrupt DT and question your classmates. Encourage them to participate. DT is very knowledgeable and has a lot to offer. Follow his advice, and interrupt him to add a point or ask a question. It is a class discussion. 11: I got my money’s worth - and more! 12: Yes, this course was most worthwhile. Networking with colleagues was great. I think a course in January would be more welcome than in July, but there is the problem of leaving work during the academic term. 13: My compliments to the instructor - this course was taught well.

Number of respondents: 13

There were seven rare book librarians (54%), two archivist/manuscript librarians (15%), one general librarian with some rare book duties (7%), one full-time student (7%), and one reference librarian (7%).