Deborah J. Leslie
L-30: Rare Book
Cataloging
4–8 June 2012
1) How useful were the pre-course readings? (Leave blank if you applied and were accepted late for the course, and thus did not get the list in time.)
1: They were very
useful. I practiced using RBMSB on books already on my desk—but did not
contribute them to OCLC. 2: They
were helpful—I appreciate that they were broken up into "Required" and
"Recommended." 3: Very useful. 4: Very useful. I was conversant with
terminologies, could visualize printing processes and collations. I would have
liked more time for the homework! 5: Very
useful. I slogged through DCRM(B), and it, along with
the other pre-reading, helped more of what was explained in class to stick. 6: The readings were essential and
will be valuable resources when I return home. 7: Very useful, especially Terry Belanger's article. 8: They were very useful and served as
an introduction for what was to be covered in class. I did not have time to do
additional preparations beyond required/recommended pre-class work. 9: I found the required reading very
helpful. We covered everything in class, but having at least briefly read the
assigned reading made things stick when we talked about them in class. 10: Everything assigned to do or read
in advance paid off. 11: The
pre-course readings were very helpful in bringing me up to speed on terminology
end rules. I found it easier to follow class than if I had not been prepared. 12: Very helpful. Thank you for making
the reading list available far enough in advance to get out-of-print items.
2) Were the course workbook and other materials distributed in class appropriate and useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?
1: Yes, I will use them
each time I do special collections cataloging. 2: Yes, they will be extremely useful, particularly the examples
(photocopies of title pages and their bibliographic records). 3: Yes. 4: Thrilled to have these materials and sources; will definitely
assist with my job assignments. 5: Very
much so, to both parts. 6: Incredibly
so! 7: Yes, I'll use the workbook in
the future. 8: Yes, they were useful
during class and will be a valuable reference source in the future. Having
space on pages in them to write additional comments or notes was helpful. 9: Very. I expect to consult them
frequently. 10: The course workbook
and other materials are impressive in breadth and depth—truly a gift. 11: They were extremely
useful—it is going to be very hard for me not to plagiarize them when
creating my own guidelines! 12: Yes,
great reference for later.
3) Have you taken one or more RBS courses before? If so, how did this course compare with your previous coursework?
1: No. 2: No, I have not. 3: No. 4: First course;
finances available will do more! 5: No. 6: Coursework was approximately the
same, which is to say appropriate. 7: No. 8: This is my first one. 9: No. 10: Yes. I have taken two courses prior to this one. This was a
more challenging course for me because it is more technical in nature. More
work was required, but justified. 11: I
have not. 12: N/A.
4) What aspects of the course content were of the greatest interest or relevance for your purposes?
1: Hands-on practice and
group work through examples. 2: Everything—how
to catalog rare books! 3: Title page
transcription, collation, DCRM(B) rule interpretation,
cataloging policy discussions. 5: A
firm handle on DCRM(B) rules that I can apply to
DCRM(B) and special collections cataloging work. 6: I found the involved exercises producing signature statements
to be most valuable. This was an area where I have struggled in the past. 7: It's hard to say. All aspects of
the course were relevant. 8: Instruction,
being able to ask questions and having a chance to work with materials and
practice. 9: The bulk of the course,
the actual process of applying DCRM(B) rules to
cataloging books. 10: Learning to
catalog rare book materials. 11: I
had many questions related to conduct and "best practices," and thankfully I
now have a much better understanding of what to do in certain situations. 12: Hands-on practice and
opportunities for discussion.
5) Did the instructor(s) successfully help you to acquire the information and skills that the course was intended to convey? Was the intellectual level of the course appropriate?
1: Yes. 2: Yes—if a specific skill was
not taught/mastered, I am confident that we were at least given the resources
to acquire the knowledge (further reading, websites, &c.). 3: YES. The intellectual level is
often a function of the choice of participants. The choices were good. 4: Excellent all round. Great group of
people very well led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic instructor. 5: I'm impressed at how much we
learned, and really retained, in this five-day time frame. 6: 100% so! 7: Yes. 8: Yes. The instructor presented the
course materials with enthusiasm, humor, and was very well prepared and knowledgeable. 9: Definitely. I now feel confident in
my ability to catalog rare books. 10: One
of the best aspects of all RBS courses is the intellectual challenge they
present in a worrisomely dumbed down cultural world. I worried that in this
case I had bitten off more than I could chew. It would be more accurate to say
that I have more to digest. 11: I never felt lost in this course, everything
was clear and concise. I have gained so many new skills in just a short
week! 12: Yes.
6) What did you like best about the course?
1: Hands-on work. 2: Practicum, going over all the
examples of classmates. Examples, examples, examples! 3: Practice; discussion of cataloging problems with particular
items. 4: Sharing ideas,
discoveries. 5: DJL's knowledge of,
and enthusiasm for, the subject, along with her intellectualism and willingness
to question herself along with everything else. 6: The course was perfectly balanced as far as lecture, guided
practice, and independent work. DJL is a gem! 7: A lot of very important and relevant information condensed in
five days. 8: See answer to #4. 9: The combination of cheerfulness and
thoroughness of the instructor. 10: The
camaraderie in this course, as in the other courses I have taken, has been
memorable, but also the intellectual challenge and the knowledge acquired. 11: The transcription exercises and
plethora of visual examples really helped me understand often
complex topics. 12: Old books!
7) How could the course have been improved?
1: Perhaps some time
could be found to devote to an area most difficult for each student or group of
students. Not everything was equally hard-structured. Time with teacher in
smaller groups would be good. 2: No
suggestions for improvement. 3: Well,
it could be longer. Some of us absorb information at a slow pace. 4: Not knowledgeable enough at this
point to say. 5: It isn't very
useful, but I can't think of much. Plenty more could have been discussed, but I
don't know what I'd cut out to make room.
6: The only area where I would have wanted slightly more examples was in
binding descriptions. 7: No
suggestions; the course was very well prepared. 8: The physical space was a little cramped. It would have been nice
to have a little more space to work with when using materials. 9: I would have liked to learn more
about appropriate wording and construction of notes, and perhaps about how
policies and procedures differ in different institutions. 10: Some technical snafus with blinking lights, cranky overhead projection need attention. Larger tables to accommodate the
new chairs might be nice. On an intellectual level—more opportunities to
try out writing your own field and then reviewing before being faced with an
entire record to create. 11: The
course is excellent; I would ask that other courses in advanced cataloging be
added for other bibliographic formats (i.e.,
serials, cartographic materials).
8) Did you learn what the course description/advertisements indicated you would learn?
1–8:
Yes. 9: Yes. Emphatically. 10–12: Yes.
9) Did you learn what you wanted to learn in the course?
1: Yes. Would have liked
extra time to devote to aspects most difficult for me. 2–7: Yes. 8: Yes. Some things I learned were
unexpected. 9: Yes. Again, emphatically.
10–12: Yes.
10) How do you intend to use or apply the knowledge or skills learned in this course?
1: Develop rare books
cataloging policy, workflow, and to actually catalog a lot of rare books. 2: In my work cataloging rare books. 3: I will write a rare books
cataloging policy for my library. I will apply the knowledge and skills to the
truckloads of rare books that are awaiting my return. 4: I hope to be able to encourage the development of cataloging
policy—a great beginning. 5: I
hope to assume more rare book responsibilities in my position. 6: Everyday I am faced with situations
where I will be applying these skills. Moreover, I will be able to more ably
instruct our staff. 7: I will feel
much more confident cataloging rare book materials in the future. 8: In my work I will definitely be
able to apply what I learned and when appropriate share with other colleagues. 9: Begin cataloging rare books at the
library where I work. 10: To become
more adept in my internship. 11: I will be developing a rare book cataloging policy for my
institution. 12: Begin using DCRM(B) at my institution.
11) If your class made any trips away from your classroom, was the time devoted to this purpose well spent?
1: Yes. 2: Yes, very much so. 3: Most definitely! 4: Oh, yes. Comparison
of c17 publications of same title.
5: Very much so. 6: Yes, our
trip to SC was valuable. 7: Very
much so. 8: Yes. We spent an
afternoon in UVA's SC Library and were given a chance to look at some books
that we were discussing the issues of in class. 9: Yes. Very interesting and helpful in illustrating differences
between edition/issue/impression/state covered in lectures. 10: Excellent presentation by David Vander Meulen on Hinman. 11: Absolutely. The time at the Small SC
Library was very useful. 12: Yes.
12) If you attended the optional evening events (e.g., RBS Lecture, Video Night, RBS Forum, Booksellers' Night) were they worth attending?
1–2:
Yes. 3: YES. I attended all of them except
the Booksellers' Night. 4: All well
done and useful. "Printing in Williamsburg" was less than informational; more
like a commercial promotion of Williamsburg or salute to the flag. 5: Generally yes, though one lecture
was more engaging than the other. 6: Yes. 7: Yes. All events were interesting
and thought-provoking. 8: Yes, especially the lectures were very interesting. 9: Yes. Both for the
content and for the building of relationships with colleagues. 10: Lectures were excellent as always.
Videos less so, and after going to John L. King in Detroit, other booksellers
pale. 11: Definitely. Video Night
was particularly fun. 12: Yes—lectures
were great.
13) We are always concerned about the physical well-being both of the RBS teaching collections and of materials owned by the 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: No. 2: No suggestions. 4: Very carefully done; no suggestions. 5: I think our materials
were treated as well as was practical. 6: None. 7: N/A. 8: No real suggestion to
improve—we were shown and told how to handle them properly. 11: A handling demonstration might be
useful for less experienced users of rare materials.
14) Did you get your (or your institutions) money's worth? Would you recommend this course to others?
1: Yes. 2: Yes; yes. 3: YES. YES. 4–5: Yes
and yes. 6: Absolutely. What a
bargain, considering the amount of personal attention. 7: Yes, absolutely. 8: I
believe so, and I would recommend it but I would also say to anyone to be
serious about doing the pre-class readings and to be prepared to do some
out-of-class work as well as spend five full days engaged in the course. 9: Yes. Yes. 10: N/A. 11: I
absolutely did. I am grateful to have been a recipient of the RBS scholarship,
and I will be recommending this class to my staff. 12: Yes.
15) Any final or summary thoughts, or advice for other persons considering taking this course in a future year? (If you have further RBS praise or concerns, or if you have suggestions for a new course, please contact Amanda Nelsen [an2b@virginia.edu] or Michael Suarez [mfs3x@virginia.edu].)
5: I'd heard great
things about this course, and it was as advertised. A great
week. 6: Thanks! 7: I would like to have an advanced
rare book cataloging class in the future if possible. 10: Many thanks as always for the work you do at RBS and the
opportunities you offer. 11: Do
yourself a favor and take this class! I have never felt more confident about my
skills.
Number of respondents: 12
PERCENTAGES
Leave
Institution gave me leave
11 (92%)
I took vacation time
0%
N/A: self-employed, retired or had the
summers off
1 (8%)
I am self-employed
Work has nothing to do with RBS course
0%
Tuition
Institution paid tuition
9 (75%)
Institution paid tuition ___%
0%
I paid tuition myself
1 (8%)
Exchange or barter
0%
N/A: Self-employed, retired or scholarship
2 (17%)
Housing
Institution paid housing
5 (42%)
Institution paid for ___% of housing
0%
I paid for my own housing
5 (42%)
N/A: stayed with friends or lived at home
2 (16%)
Travel
7 (59%)
Institution paid ___% of my travel
0%
I paid my own travel
3 (25%)
N/A: lived nearby
2 (16%)
There were eight catalogers (67%), one
library administrator (8%), one archivist (8%), one technical services
librarian with rare book duties (8%), one retired librarian (8%)
How did you hear
about this course?
RBS Website
4 (33%)
Work Colleague
6 (50%)
Other
1 (8%)
Word of mouth
1 (8%)
Where did you stay?
Brown College: 7 (59%)
Cavalier Inn: 3 (25%)
Other: 2 (16%)