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No. 31: Introduction to Medieval and Early Renaissance Bookbinding Structures 28 July - 1 August 1997 |
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1. How useful were the pre-course readings?
1: My institution fudged on funding, and I thought I might have to withdraw due to financial difficulties. I plan to do some post-course reading. 2: Useful, but not essential to understand the contents of the course. 3: Slightly useful. I would have liked materials more directly related to bookbindings. The books are hard to find, and one of them costs $200 now. 4: Very helpful I was able to pick up on the terminology quickly. 5: Gave a good background and historical setting for the period. 6: Very useful. 7: Very helpful, interesting, and informative. 8-9: Very useful. 10: Excellent, though if you are not affiliated with a large rare book reference collection, it could be difficult. 11: Only had a chance to read the articles sent with the package; they were very useful. I would have liked more, as I never got to a library (and applied quite late). |
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2. Were the course syllabus and other materials distributed in class useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?
1-4: Yes. 5: 6: Just needs to be paginated. 7: Yes, and will continue to be so. 8: Absolutely. 9: Yes. 10: They were excellent, useful. I think RBS might consider a fund to digitize some of CC's slides since they are fading and will continue to do so. 11: Fine. |
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3.Was the intellectual level of the course content appropriate?
1: Yes. The course description matched the content, and CC was conscious of different backgrounds of the students, explaining further where it was needed. 2: Yes. 3: I am not familiar with all the terms, but I do not work in the field of conservation or librarianship. 4: Yes. Extensive bibliography. 5-9: Yes. 10: Yes. 11: Great a real mind expander. |
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4. If your course had field trips, were they effective?
1: Yes at least 26 examples [at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore] representing typical periods/cultures over approximately 1,000 years were seen in six hours, with one break! William Noel and Abigail Quant were very helpful and clear and interested in our session. 2: We visited the Walters Gallery and it enhanced the course significantly. 3: Yes. We went to the Walters in Baltimore. It was a good trip and we saw a lot up close. 4: Yes excellent way of getting a feel for what we talked about and looked at in class (mostly slides and photographs). 5: Yes. The traveling was tiresome, but worth it to see and/or touch the manuscripts. The timing was good that day, avoiding traffic problems. Having to make the trip on Wednesday put a lot of pressure on CC to re-arrange his lectures and get enough information in, but we managed. A small bus instead of a van might be useful so he could address us on the way to use the time more constructively or to show videos. But the talking amongst us was useful. 6: Yes. Excellent visit. 7: Yes, although it was unfortunate to have to go to the Walters and spend so much time traveling. 8: Yes the trip to the Walters was terrific! 9: Yes. 10: Yes, yes nothing like seeing and touching the real thing. 11: Great. But I would have preferred another preparatory day before seeing the collection at the Walters as there was so much to learn and absorb! |
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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: See no.3, above. 2: An enthusiastic yes! 3-8 : Yes. 9:Yes. Yes. 10: Yes. 11: Way beyond expectations. My head is reeling with information. |
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6. What did you like best about the course?
1: The instructor's materials and preparedness. 2: CC's incredible depth of knowledge concerning the subject. No time was wasted and we needed more. 3: Instructor's tremendous fund of knowledge of his field. 4: It gave me the kind of information I was looking for, even though I'm not actively involved in book conservation. I liked the comments from other participants who were practitioners. 5: The incredible depth of knowledge of the instructor and how well he conveyed it. Having some models to supplement the slides was most helpful in learning about binding structures. The instructor was very charming, open to questions, and concerned with not leaving anyone behind. 6: The extraordinary knowledge and friendliness of the instructor. The relaxed and yet very intense flow of information. 7: The opportunity of learning a great deal from CC. 8: What to say? It was all best! 9: The instructor is knowledgeable, articulate, and loves his profession. Handouts in book form were helpful. Slides, samples, and the field trip enhanced the course, which was very well organized. 10: CC. The slides. Intellectual, historical context for material culture and technique. 11: CC's enthusiasm and love of his craft. |
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7. How could the course have been improved?
1: More samples (MS fragments from the RBS collection where possible?) to begin the course with. CC had to depend on his enormous slide collection and drawings and just a few models.2: It was excellent. We basically need more time. 4: ? 5: Take the field trip Thursday instead of Wednesday. (So change TB's lecture to Wednesday night that week.) 6: We could have used another week. Not enough time. Fine; enjoyable (great wine selection!).7: I can't imagine. 9: The only suggestions I have is that CC bring more models of structures to complement the slides and lectures. 10: Darker room. Photocopies for everyone of many of CC's prints, if allowable. 11: Bring a rare book library to our classroom :-). |
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8. Please comment on the quality/enjoyability of the various RBS activities in which you took part outside of class, e.g. Sunday afternoon tour, Sunday night dinner and videos, evening lectures, Bookseller Night, tour of the Alderman digital/electronic centers, printing demonstrations, &c.
2: It was all nice and not too pressing on our individual time. It's important to remember that every second of the day we don't need activities, etc., to fill our time. Perhaps more free time would be nice. 3: I liked Bookseller Night. The shuttle was very convenient. I felt isolated I don't work in the field, don't know anyone, and wasn't able to talk shop. 4: Fine; enjoyable (great wine selection!). 5: Lectures would be better if not read, but given more extemporaneously. 6: Everything was excellent. 7: One only. 8: Very enjoyable. 9: Sunday night dinner and Bookseller Night are a pleasant way to meet other people in other courses. 10: Enjoyed the videos Sunday night, and the lectures. 11: The Sunday tour could have been more extensive, but it was mighty hot. Videos started a little later for all the material or was I just very tired? I would like to hear more in-depth lectures on topics other than those I studied to get an overall picture of different fields. |
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9. Any final thoughts? Did you get your money's worth?
1: Would it be possible to hook up with an air travel agency for persons traveling from major cities on the same schedule to receive a conference discount on airfare? 2: I think you need to seriously consider adding hands-on courses to the Master Class program. Bring CC back to a university in the States and have him teach a particular conservation technique that most conservators in this country just can't get. His knowledge and years of experience make him the perfect candidate to teach conservation skills to conservators in this country. This is a course that we need very much and RBS could support it. 3: I learned a lot. This is all new to me and I liked it. I want to attend in future I definitely got my money's worth. 4: Consider offering some of the more basic courses closer to the Midwestern and upper Midwestern States it's very far and difficult for us to get here. 5: This is a very excellent course. I'm very excited at the amount of information I learned. 6: I just want to come back next year. Thank you, again this kind of course is so important to my work. 7: More than my money's worth. I would recommend the course very highly to anyone interested in books of any period. 8: A terrific course. You will get more out of it, of course, if you are familiar with binding/conservation practices and techniques. 9: I look forward to RBS. In one short, short week I learn enough to begin my own research throughout the year on various topics that I am introduced to.10: All English speaking conservators or those working with European book collections as conservators and curators (preservation administrators, too) should be exposed to this sort of material culture scholarship. As a book conservator, I can't imagine the field without CC and his approach to the history of the book.11: It's been a great week. |
| Number of respondents: 11 |
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* One student (9%) paid for these but hopes to be institutionally
reimbursed.
There were eleven students: 7 conservator/binder/preservation librarians (64%), two rare book librarians (18%), one federal employee (9%), and one general librarian with some rare book duties (9%). |