M-10: Introduction to Paleography, 800-1500
9-13 June 2008
1) How useful were the pre-course readings?
1: The Derolez readings [from The Paleography of Gothic Manuscript Books] were good. I would not have minded more readings, if any are to be found, to give context to the evolutions of script. 2: The reading was helpful – about forty-five pages from a single book. I could have read a little more, perhaps from another perspective, but overall it was a good choice. The Cappelli book on abbreviations [Lexicon abbreviaturarum] was impossible to find. Luckily my library had a copy. 3: Very. 4: Useful introduction and not too long. 5: Glad we had a chance to read Derolez (or parts of it) before class. I’d now like to finish it. 6: The pre-course reading was useful as an introduction to paleography, but it wasn’t entirely relevant to the instructor’s own approach. 7: Pre-course readings were minimal and relevant. They gave an introduction useful for the non-specialist. 8: Useful as background.
2) Were the course syllabus and other materials distributed in class appropriate and useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?
1: Yes. The images of manuscripts and other materials on compact disk will be very helpful, and certainly made transcription easier. 2: They were well done and appropriate. 3: All materials were both appropriate and useful, and will be put to further use. 4: The compact disk of examples will prove useful. 5: Especially pleased with the materials we received. The compact disk has many useful images and texts. 6: Yes, very useful. We received digital images of manuscripts we studied so we can really recall them and make our notes come alive. 7: The materials were useful, and the compact disk that the instructor gave contained a digital copy of the Lexicon abbreviations and images of slides from class. 8: Yes, the compact disk will be very useful.
3) What aspects of the course content were of the greatest interest or relevance for your purposes? Was the intellectual level of the course appropriate?
1: Distinguishing features of each script are important, but also seeing an actual choir book and other pieces is useful. Intellectual level just right. 2: The reading of manuscript texts out loud in class was extremely practical and well done. As with learning a new language, drill is the best approach at times. 3: As to the second question, yes. In paleography really all aspects of the material presented were relevant. 4: I would have liked to have spent a little time on documentary hands, though I know we were pressed for time. 5: The intellectual level was appropriate. I was interested most in improving my ability to distinguish different scripts. 6: Lots of practice reading script, which is the real key; no attempt to just have us memorize abbreviations or complicated letter form distinctions separated from a page of the text itself. 7: The level of the course was appropriate, and all of the religious content (from missals to breviaries to books of hours) was of great interest. 8: Learning to read better; intellectual level of course was appropriate for an introductory course.
4) If your course left its classroom to visit Special Collections (SC) or to make other field trips away from your classroom, was the time devoted to this purpose well spent?
1: Very much so. 2: Yes. We went to Harrison/Small SC Library. We were put in the auditorium with four round tables; I think it would have been better if we had been given a room with one large table where we could pass around materials (in baskets, &c.). Perhaps the conference/classroom next to the reading room? Glad we didn’t do a field trip to DC – takes too much time. 3: Yes. 4: They were useful. It was good to not only work from slides, but see physical objects. 5: Always enjoy going to SC here, to see examples. The examples related to class discussions well. 6: We made trips to SC to do hands-on reading and script identification with fragments and codices; very useful and fun. 7: SC time was well spent because it gave hands-on experience with manuscripts, which is irreplaceable. 8: Yes.
5) What did you like best about the course?
1: Painful though it sometimes was, reading the examples out loud was fun and instructive. 2: CD is an excellent teacher and brought out the best in the students. Her selection of materials was well done and planned very carefully. 3: We had an engaging lecturer, were exposed to a great amount of (to me) new material, and everyone in the class took it seriously and came to class prepared. Every session was a learning opportunity. 4: The hands-on nature of the course. 5: Happy that we spent a fair amount of time actually reading different scripts, rather than just talking about them; also liked the homework assignments. 6: CD has a very engaging and relaxed attitude that made what could have been a dull or frustrating process fun. 7: I can now read scripts that would have been inaccessible to me before the course. Those I can’t read, I also now have the tools to use to decipher them! 8: Looking at lots of scripts both on screen and live.
6) How could the course have been improved?
1: Not sure. There is so much to cover. 2: Availability of a magnifying glass would have helped immensely. 3: I don’t know enough to even imagine that it could. 4: Sitting in a darkened room for six hours per day was quite tiring. It might be helpful to somewhat tailor the course to those enrolled since the class is so small, and there is so much material that some will have to be left out. 5: Can’t think of much that could be improved. Maybe just a brief introduction to each script before beginning to read examples. 6: Only by having more time, which isn’t possible. Sometimes class felt rushed, but it is an intensive beginner course and that’s in its nature. Better to see a little of a lot of scripts as we did than focus too much on just one or two. 7: The difficult scripts really can make a full day a long one. The Friday morning session on fun things in various manuscripts might work well on Thursday to break up the difficult stuff. 8: A little more historical context and dating of examples.
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: As I mentioned before, if we had met in the SC in a room with a large table, we could have passed materials around more easily, allowing closer viewing and less handling of early MSS. 3: All the librarians in this class were very aware of the importance of gentle handling and the rules associated with rare book rooms. 4: We tried to be respectful of the materials. Seeing the SC stuff in a more classroom-like setting (a room in that building?) might be helpful. 6: I felt all appropriate precautions were taken to treat the materials with delicacy and care. 7: Handling was appropriate and careful during the course.
8) If you attended the Sunday and/or other evening lectures, were they worth attending?
1: Yes. Sunday night and Tuesday movie night were worthwhile as social and learning events. 2: Yes. Very insightful and entertaining. 3: Yes. 4: Didn’t really attend; might suggest some other evening activities, perhaps that more closely interface with the courses taught that week. Those held didn’t really relate to anything relevant. 5: Yes. TB’s presentation on the Audubon folios was particularly useful. 8: Yes. Both Sunday and Monday lectures were informative and entertaining.
9) Did you get your money’s worth? Any final or summary thoughts, or advice for other persons considering taking this course in a future year?
1: Definitely. It helps to review your Latin beforehand, but mainly to reacquaint yourself with case and verb endings, not necessarily comprehension. 2: I definitely got my money’s worth. I recommend any student brush up on his/her Latin before coming – mostly grammar – as 95% of the texts read are in Latin. Grammar helps to figure out vocabulary and sense – it’s essential. 3: Yes, I fully got my money’s worth. My presumption is that the quality of instructor/scholar is at the same level across the board, so I would not hesitate to recommend any RBS program. 4: I think so, though for a week long course, it’s quite expensive. I could never afford it if my institution didn’t cover most of my costs. Keep this class small. 5: Yes, I got my money’s worth. For this course, knowledge of Latin is important. An essential course for anyone interested in medieval MSS. 6: I got my money’s worth, although I didn’t pay tuition. As a student I would have to think carefully about doing another course with tuition, when transport and lodging is already a significant amount of money. But I would want to do another course. It was intense but fun and very useful. 7: This course is intense, but it works! It gives you the tools to actually read and identify some very difficult scripts. I’d recommend it to anyone considering it. 8: Yes. Lots of in class reading of script. Practice your Latin and gain familiarity with psalms and other liturgical texts; will help with word identification.
Number of respondents: 8
PERCENTAGES
Leave Tuition Housing Travel
Institution Institution Institution Institution
gave me leave paid tuition paid housing paid travel
50% 63% 63% 50%
I took vaca- I paid tui- I paid for my I paid my own
tion time tion myself own housing travel
0% 13% 13% 25%
N/A: self- N/A: Self- N/A: stayed N/A: lived
employed, re- employed, with friends nearby
tired, or had retired, or or lived at
summers off scholarship home
50% 25% 25% 25%
There were 2 rare book librarians (25%); 1 archivist/manuscript librarian (13%); 3 full-time students (38%); 1 library administrator with some rare book duties (13%); and 1 special collections librarian (13%).