Deborah J. Leslie
L-30: Rare Book Cataloging
22–26 July 2013
Detailed Course Evaluation
1) How useful were the pre-course readings? Did you do any additional preparations in advance of the course?
1: The pre-course readings were quite useful, but they only made complete sense to me once I was in class. I also read through parts of the ABC for Book Collectors. 2: The readings were extremely well targeted to support the course. 3: Extremely useful, and not only for this week. These are books I will reference from here on out. 4: Really hard but very helpful. Made more sense once I’d started class. 5: Definitely useful. 6: Very useful. 7: Very useful. As additional prep, I looked at DCRM(B) records in Hamnet (Folger’s catalog) 8: The readings were very helpful. 9: The pre-course readings were perfect. Just the right amount. 10: Very useful (crucial, even) but I didn’t do any other additional preparation. 11: The pre-course readings provided a vital baseline understanding of the many new concepts that were introduced to me in this course, e.g. normalized punctuation, format, signature, &c. 12: I did the pre-course readings. I did not understand it very well since it was foreign to me before taking the course. Now I will go back and re-read!
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, extremely useful. I think I will be pulling out the workbook in addition to DCRM(B) when doing rare book cataloging. 2: Front section of the workbook was well organized. I had trouble locating material in rear section. Needed perhaps an index? 3: Invaluable. I will keep it by my desk and refer often. 4: I’ll be using them extensively. 5: Extremely useful, and I certainly plan on keeping my workbook in my office to refer to when necessary. 6: Yes, very useful now and in the future. 7: Yes. Having the printed slides is great. 8: Yes! The binder is terrific! Bravo! 9: Absolutely! Such a valued resource. I will be returning to these notes for sure. 10: The workbook and other materials were great, and I anticipate consulting them frequently. 11: The workbook allowed me to follow the lectures without the distraction of having to take notes fully myself. The printed version of PowerPoint slides (with minimal marginal notes) will definitely come in handy at work. 12: Yes! They were extremely useful—I will definitely refer to them when I get home!
3) Have you taken one or more RBS courses before? If so, how did this course compare with your previous coursework?
1: No, this is my first. 2: I took a class years ago on Special Collections administration. This class is much more germane to my actual work. 3: N/A 4: No. 5: No, I’ve never taken an RBS course before. 6: I have taken one course previously. I found this one to be much more work. I did feel tired at the end of the work day. 7: No. 8: First time. 9: No. 10: This was my first RBS course. 11: This is my first RBS course. 12: No.
4) What aspects of the course content were of the greatest interest or relevance for your purposes?
1: Learning how to do transcription and re-learning how to do collation. Also learning about how the same edition can have so many formats was eye-opening. 3: How to decide if an item should be cataloged DCRM(B). What to include in cataloging policy, workflow, and transcription. Especially collation, though! 4: I needed and appreciated everything we learned—I am very pleased. 5: Information on identifying formats, bindings, signatures, and so on—these were areas I had very little experience with and wanted to gain a good grounding in. 6: The close work with DCRM(B) rules on Wednesday and Thursday. It was the most difficult, but also most relevant to current needs. 8: From start to finish the information presented was right on target. 9: Learning DCRM with a group. It’s one thing to apply the rules—it’s another to discuss them with the chief editor and fellow catalogers—so helpful. 10: Everything about the course was of great interest and relevance, but the discussion of the bibliographic meaning of edition was particularly valuable. And the field trip to SC library with a show and tell by DVM. 11: I enjoyed learning about the variations in paper, printing, and bookbinding, and hope to carry this knowledge into best practices of bibliographic description in the future. 12: I will soon be cataloging special collections, which is brand new to me.
5) Did the instructor(s) successfully help you to acquire the information, knowledge, and skills that the course was intended to convey? Was the intellectual level of the course appropriate?
1: Yes, and yes. 2: As I have been cataloging for less than a year, I was at times not at the same level as my classmates. However, I learned a great deal both from the instructor and the class discussion. 3: Yes, and then some. 4: Yes. 5: Yes to both. 6: Yes on both counts. 7: Yes. 8: Yes. 9: Yes, absolutely. 10: Absolutely to both. 11: 12: Yes—absolutely! And then some!
6) What did you like best about the course?
1: The hands-on exercises and working with a different partner every day. 2: That the instructor was so patient with us in explaining (and re-explaining) things we had questions about. 3: The hands-on approach and conversation with DJLand classmates. 4: Working with examples. 5: The course struck an excellent balance in covering all the most important skills for cataloging rare books. 6: A great workbook, and list of resources to refer to when I get back to my work at home. 8: Working in pairs and ability to ask questions 9: Application of the rules after learning them with discussion. It cemented the concepts and rules. 10: Everything! 12: I liked hearing and seeing new ideas over several times (successive iterations)—it’s what helps to make it stick.
7) How could the course have been improved?
1: Give an overview of the next day’s course at the end of each day. To some extent this was done and it’s perhaps my fault for being inattentive. 3: It would be amazing to have more time. 4: Needed two weeks! 8: It is a good balance between lecture and practical work. 9: Clearly convey the week and daily agendas. 10: I find it difficult to imagine something better! 12: I thought it was perfect!
8) Did you learn what the course description/advertisement indicated you would learn? Additional comments optional. Y/N
1–12: Yes.
9) Did you learn what you wanted in the course? Additional comments optional. Y/N
1: Yes. 2: Yes. I actually learned more about various aspects of rare books than I expected. This was refreshing. 3–6: Yes. 7: Yes. I now know how to do basic collation, and it feels awesome! 8: Yes. And more! 9–12: Yes.
10) How do you intend to use or apply the knowledge or skills learned in this course?
1: I intend to begin doing DCRM(B) cataloging (I had been doing AACR2 with some genre and form headings and relator terms). I intend to write up a policy statement for rare book cataloging at my institution. 3: Directly. I am required to describe each book as it is in my hand, and now I am a much more confident and sleek cataloger. Every single thing we covered was a revelation, even in areas I’d thought I’d had down previous to the class. 4: I have to go back to my library and start evaluating rare book cataloging practice and creating policies. Also got to catalog some stuff. 5: The knowledge and skills I’ve picked up will most certainly help me produce better catalog records, particularly of older materials. 6: I will soon change duties and this class will help me with the next steps in on-site training at home. 7: I will be re-cataloging many poorly cataloged rare books, as well as writing a cataloging policy for my institution. 8: I am going to use it in training and refining my own cataloging work. 9: I am going to start cataloging our rare book back log right away—with confidence! 10: I will be using what I’ve learned on a variety of materials appropriately cataloged to DCRM(B) standards—and as soon as I get back, the better to retain them! 11: My highest priority is to formulate a more detailed policy for rare books cataloging at my institution, together with the curator, designating which materials shall receive DCRM(B) treatment. Ideally, I will use my new skills to upgrade existing Bib records as practicable. 12: When I go back to my library, I will definitely use the skills learned!
11) If your course left its classroom, was the time devoted to this purpose well spent?
1: Yes! The field trip to SC library was one of my favorite parts of the class. 2: Our trip to the Small SC library was helpful—if somewhat rushed due to so many of us needing to see a relatively small number of books. 3: Yes! We learned so much in that ninety-minute session. 4: Yes. 5: Yes, our trip to SC was both interesting and entertaining. 6: Yes—I enjoyed the SC trip—the bibliographer (DVM) was knowledgeable and friendly. 7: We went to the SC library and met with DVM. It was incredibly helpful for actually seeing how to use our new knowledge of editions, issues, &c. 8: Yes. 9: Yes! Seeing the various types of books helped to understand the concepts discussed in class. 10: Yes—the SC field trip focused on identifying editions was amazing. 11: The session at SC comparing various copies of the same editions of Pope was invaluable! 12: Yes—I loved the field trip to SC!
12) If you attended the evening events (e.g., RBS Lecture, Video Night, RBS Forum, Booksellers’ Night) were they worth attending?
1: Yes. I liked the second speaker much better than the first, but it was quite illustrative to have two such different collectors speak. Video Night needs a bigger room. Booksellers’ Night was fun. 2: Yes. I felt the lecture receptions could be perhaps better if they had been not in RBS but in Small. 3: Yes…though it would have been nice to have more diversity. Two collectors was a bit repetitive. 4: All great. 6: Not sure about film night, but yes to lectures. 7: I would suggest not having two collectors give lectures. At least one lecture should be more scholarly. 8: Yes—the video on French bookbinding was very instructive. 9: Yes, and yes. 10: I attended all, and all were worth it. 12: Yes!
13) 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?
1: No suggestions, it seems alright. 3: N/A. 5: Nothing. DJL was very aware of the safety and condition of all the materials while we worked with them. 8: None. 12: We were given instructions on how to carefully handle the materials.
14) Did you (or your institution) get your money’s worth? Would you recommend this course to others?
1: Yes, and yes. 2: Yes. 3: Yes! Yes! 4: This was an excellent class and will recommend to peers at other institutions. 5: Yes to both. 6: Yes, I feel I did and would recommend this course to others. 7: I would 100% recommend it. I was on scholarship, but would pay out of pocket if possible to attend again. 8: Yes! I am confident they will think so too. 9: Yes and Yes! 10: Yes and yes. 11: This was well worth the money, considering the contact time spent here and the potential for usefulness. 12: Yes, absolutely! I will definitely recommend this course to friends.
15) Any final or summary thoughts, or advice for other persons considering taking this course in a future year? (If you have further praise/concerns, please speak with Amanda Nelsen or Michael Suarez.)
1: Do the advance reading, even if some of it makes your eyes glaze over. As our instructor says, successive iterations are conducive to learning. 2: DJL is an incredible instructor both in her knowledge and her teaching style. 3: The sign-in process on Saturday was absurd. There were absolutely no signs indicating where to go, and I ended up having to call Conference Services four times and circle Brown College four times in 97 degree weather before I found where I needed to go. Please remedy this. 4: I need to learn more about c19–c20 books. 6: Just a thank you and best wishes to everyone. 9: Please make your intro material in smaller documents—less than 10MB. As it is, it cannot be downloaded to a mobile device. 12: RBS rocks!! J
Aggregate Statistics
Number of respondents: 12
Leave
Institution gave me leave: 11 (92%)
N/A: self-employed, retired, or had summers off: 1 (8%)
Tuition
Institution paid tuition: 11 (92%)
N/A: self-employed, retired, or scholarship: 1 (8%)
Housing
Institution paid housing: 8 (33%)
I paid for my own housing: 2 (17%)
Travel
Institution paid travel: 9 (75%)
I paid my own travel: 3 (25%)
Which one category most closely defines what you do for a living, or why you are at RBS? (Please check only one category)
Cataloger, rare book: 2 (17%)
Cataloger, new and rare: 1 (8%)
Cataloger, general: 5 (42%)
Cataloger, history of business: 1 (8%)
Librarian with some rare book duties: 2 (17%)
Rare book librarian: 1 (8%)
How did you hear about this course?
RBS website: 4 (33%)
Work colleague: 8 (67%)