No. 21: Introduction to Codicology

19-23 July 1999

1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: They were useful for providing a general, background knowledge of the subject, but were, for the most part, not directly referred to in class. 2: Very. They were quite enjoyable and interesting. 3: Quite useful, especially for terminology. Shailor was especially good to read first. 4: The course readings were appropriate, useful, and highly readable. I’m certain I will re-read them, and refer to them again in the future. 5: Excellent preparation. 6: Very useful, and to the point. I would recommend them to others.

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: Yes, the course packet was very useful as a reference tool during class, and I’m sure it will continue to be so at home. 2: Yes, on all counts. 3: Some information on the syllabus was useful for class, other parts (eg bibliography, diagrams, descriptions of manuscripts) will have long-term usefulness. 4: The course packet was referred to in class on a daily basis, and was well-organized with the syllabus. I’m sure the bibliography will be helpful in the future. 5: Yes - useful in class, and will continue to be useful. 6: Yes, a very useful workbook for reference purposes. Long and well-organized bibliography. I will find this useful for future reference.

3) Was the intellectual level of the course content appropriate?

1: Yes, the intellectual level was high, and was appropriate for the course. AD assumed a knowledge of Latin and medieval history. 2-3: Yes. 4: Very much so. 5: Yes. 6: Yes. The instructor was quite successful, I think, in presenting the course at a level appropriate to the students’ backgrounds. AD also fielded individual questions, which reflected various levels of knowledge and expertise, very well.

4) If your course had field trips, were they effective?

1: The time was very well spent. Visiting the Folger and Library of Congress was wonderful, but it would have been nice to spend more time. Only having about two to three hours at each place (which sounds like a lot) wasn’t nearly enough. 2: Yes. 3: Yes. Special Collections at UVa was very cooperative. The trip to the Folger and Library of Congress was also worthwhile, even if the travel time was noticeable. 4: Our field trip to the Folger and Library of Congress was interesting and relevant. It was a lot to cover in one day, but not unmanageable. 5: Yes. 6: Yes, it was.

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: Yes, it did. 2-6: Yes.

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: I loved the ability to put what I learned in class to test in our field trips to UVa’s Special Collections, the Folger, and the Library of Congress. Only so much can be learned from slides and pictures, and to handle the medieval manuscripts and to observe the scripts, materials, and illuminations in hand was amazing. 2: It was very well organized, and easy to follow. The course was extremely informative, with a good balance of lectures and hands-on time. AD is congenial, approachable, and he has a good sense of humor. 3: The knowledge and expertise of the instructor, his enthusiasm for the subject, and his desire to share that knowledge. 4: On Friday, we spent most of the day in UVa’s Special Collections where we were able to work independently, applying what we had learned about manuscripts in the collection. I found this particularly useful as a way of reinforcing what was said in class. I enjoyed the trip to Washington, DC for similar reasons. 5: Good combination of lecture, slides, and hands-on work. Although a complete novice, I felt both overwhelmed and inspired, and I hope to do more. I wish I had another lifetime for medieval manuscripts: the time in class whizzed by. 6: I am very pleased with how this course turned out. I have found it useful and instructive, and it has encouraged me to pursue this area of study further. I feel that I have an excellent grounding in the theory and practice of codicology as a result of this week’s work, which will enable me to move forward in the field. I particularly like the overall coverage and format of the course throughout the week: an excellent balance between lecture, "show and tell," and hands-on work, which enabled us to apply what we’d learned, and thereby reinforce it.

7) How could the course have been improved?

1: More time at the Library of Congress and the Folger would have been nice. 2: I would have liked to put together a codex: folding parchment, pricking, ruling, writing, and sewing. 3: I actually can think of very little - this was a fine course. Perhaps have a tentative schedule of topics for each session. This would be helpful, but it is not necessary. 6: At present, I cannot think of anything. It all worked very well. However, I wish we could have had a follow-up period during which we could work on specific manuscripts, applying what we’d learned, and benefiting from a critique of our work by AD.

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?

1: I think everything went quite well. Special Collections was great about lending their materials, and they accomodated us in their reading room. I saw no problems. 2: Nothing I can think of. 3: People in this class were very careful with the materials. 6: No problems or suggestions.

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, &c.

1: The Sunday Afternoon Walking Tour was very informative and interesting, despite the rain. The lectures which I was able to attend were interesting and entertaining. 2: The extra-curricular activities were enjoyable, but after such intensive courses, quite tiring. 3: The Sunday Night Dinner and videos were good. I didn’t go out on Bookseller Night. I enjoyed Greer Allen’s talk, and found Daniel Traister’s talk irritating and misguided. I missed Terry Belanger’s talk because of the trip to Washington, DC. Bring back the hand-press demonstration, and advertise the Electronic Text Center open house better. 5: If field trips to the Folger and Library of Congress continue, you should suggest a list of quick, inexpensive restaurants within a block of the area (there are many far better, and no more expensive, than the Supreme Court’s cafeteria, which we avoided - this was the RBS suggestion). 6: Evening talks and receptions were useful, and generally enjoyable. Could some of the receptions and breaks be held outside?

10) Any final thoughts? Did you get your money's worth?

1: I believe I got my money’s worth - a week full of lectures and discussions, a wonderful (but too brief) trip to Washington, DC, and best of all, I saw a lot of beautiful and fascinating medieval manuscripts. 2: Take this course! This was wonderful! One note: I would recommend reading Roger S. Wieck’s Time Sanctified: The Book of Hours in Medieval Art and Life before coming to this class. It would have helped considerably. Yes! [got my money’s worth]. 3: Definitely know some Latin - it’s essential! Having any descriptive bibliography experience helps, too. At the least, read Shailor and Bischoff. Yes, I got my money’s worth. 6: I would strongly recommend this course to others interested in this field. AD is a delight to work with: knowledgeable, enlightening, patient, and a creative instuctor.

Number of respondents: 6

There was one archivist/manuscript librarian (17%), one general librarian with some rare book duties (17%), one teacher/professor (17%), one full-time student (17%), one part-time student working as a rare book library assistant (17%), and one antiquarian bookseller (17%).