1)How useful were the pre-course readings? 1: The Book in America was a fairly useful overview. 2: Useful. 3: Yes! Very useful and helpful in following MW's course. 4: Very useful and interesting (except Sheehan). 5: The readings provided useful background information. 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: Excellent bibliography. 2: Yes. 3: The syllabus could have had more writing space. Common terms could have been defined in the syllabus, e.g., edition, impression, issue, state. 4: Yes. 5: Few materials were distributed. The bibliography of suggested readings should prove helpful for future study. 3)Was the intellectual level of the course content appropriate? 1-5: Yes. 4)If your course had field trips, were they effective? 1: Yes. Visits to Special Collections and the Rotunda were interesting and fun. 2: Excellent - MW's Whitman presentation was superb. 3: Yes, the field trips away from the classroom were informative. More time is needed for the Special Collections visit. It was GREAT! 4: Yes, but too short. 5: The excursion to Special Collections to view the Whitman editions was especially interesting. 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: Fairly well. 2-4: Yes. 5: There was a good correlation. 6)What did you like best about the course? 1: Overviews of c19-20 trends and developments and emphasis on economic motives and impacts. Clear focus on the big picture - three main types of printing presses. Questioning of who does each type of analysis or research. Examples of specific ways to use primary source materials and information about what is out there to be found. Understanding better about the importance of plate printing. 2: MW's presentation - tying together all aspects of book production. 3: That MW is so well informed about the book in America, 1820-1940. 4: MW's depth and breadth of knowledge and the range of study methods, e.g., the Lucile and Tent exercises and the Whitman tour. 5: The instructor's knowledge and enthusiasm for sharing it were very much appreciated. 7)How could the course have been improved? 1: Go more quickly over some of the very general trends. Perhaps have students read a basic introduction to the structure of the book or format (or borrow TB's video beforehand). Avoid repetition for those who took a basic bibliography course but focus on c19 books and what can be detected from them.2: Excellent course. 3: I don't know enough about the book in America to comment. Each day was full of information I felt I needed to know. Well, maybe the course could last for six days. 4: By jumping into the material after a brief outline of the week's course of instruction (instead of the 90-minute introduction). Also, less time on collation/paper folding to allow for more library time to study examples of books, e.g., Whitman. 5: Certain topics were treated rather quickly, though this is inevitable in a survey as broad as this one. 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? 3: None. 5: Adequate care was given to the materials. The instructor emphasized the need for proper attention to fragile books. 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, etc. 1: Liked the demonstration in the Etext Center by David Seaman. 3: Sunday dinner was fine. I would like to have had some beer. 4: Tour - Caroline Brashears was great and the tour was very useful. Etext demonstration was phenomenal. Sunday night dinner is a must. The video about how printing changed the universe might be replaced with an alternative. 10)Any final thoughts? Did you get your money's worth? 1-2: Yes, I got my money's worth. 3: Yes, yes. 4: Advice: Be assertive - MW could teach all week on any subtopic he mentions, and seems willing to let students guide, to a certain extent, the direction he takes. Blank stares and unresponsive students seem to slow him down. 5: I would highly recommend this course - or any other taught by MW. Number of respondents: 5 PERCENTAGES Leave Tuition Housing Travel Institution gave me leave 60% Institution paid tuition 60% Institution paid housing 60% Institution paid travel 40% I took vacation time 20% I paid tuition myself 40% I paid for my own housing 20% I paid for my own travel 40% N/A: Self-employed, retired, or had time off 20% N/A: Self-employed, retired, or exchange 0% N/A: Stayed with friends or lived at home 20% N/A: Lived nearby 20% There were five students: two (40%) were researchers, one each (20% each) was an antiquarian bookseller, a general librarian with some rare book duties, and a rare book librarian.

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