1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: N/A. 2: Extremely appropriate material considering we went through 90%+ of Gascoigne. 3: Very useful. Provided a good beginning vocabulary and visual reference. 4: Very useful! I even started re-reading the night before each topic, hoping it would help. 6: Very. 7: Good, but it would be helpful to have also a book with photos or diagrams showing method of production -- it's difficult to look for evidence without really understanding method.

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: Very useful. 2: The syllabus was a good addition to Gascoigne. The time line was helpful in determining the rise and fall of specific techniques. 3: Very helpful, in particular the reading list. 4: The syllabus, though wonderful, cannot take the place of the prints...dammit! 5: Believe so. 6-7: Yes.

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

1-2: Yes. 3:Yes, I think it was well pitched for the audience. 4: Very nice, thank you. 5-7: Yes.

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

1- 3: N/A.

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. 2: It was everything I expected. 3: Yes, I am very satisfied. 4: Even better, one cannot imagine the course from such modest understatement. 5-7: Yes.

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: The opportunity to see examples of illustration and the books of the type being discussed. Erudite and entertaining lectures. 2: The hands-on experience reinforced the teaching. 3: Hands-on work and use of actual prints. 4: This is like having the right kind of sex with the right sort of person -- the world will never look the same again. I will never look at my collections again the way I did last week. My vision has been transformed. 5: Opportunity to examine actual examples. It is hard to study prints from books with reproductions of prints. 6: The instructor. 7: Original examples.

7) How could the course have been improved?

1: If possible, hammering home the print families with typical examples of each. Build on this by placing each new process in a family. Your process of ID by elimination plus have students work on ID in class discussion. This could be in a daily or section review session. 2: Having a TA that has practiced many of the techniques would be helpful with certain questions from the class. I would incorporate a lithography session into the hands-on participating -- even one stone that all the students could experiment on. 3: Very difficult to imagine improvements other than perhaps needing additional examples or copies -- and TB is well aware of these needs and is gradually building his print library. 4: More, more, more. 5: The logistics of hauling and materials must be a nightmare to manage -- least it appears to go slowly at times. The instructor knows the course so well, that I felt he went too fast at times. It is as if we were learning world history in one week. Perhaps advanced courses could be offered giving an opportunity to spend more time on fewer processes. 7: Don't go so fast -- use fewer examples or add time. Provide in syllabus a Sherlock Holmes-type schema of questions to ask oneself step by step.

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: None. 2: It is almost impossible, but medium sized materials, ie prints work well on cramped tables. If they are too large, it becomes difficult to maneuver. 3: Since this is a teaching collection, perfect conditions can't be expected. I think TB's advice on when to use particular care is adequate. 6: None.

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, evening lectures, Bookseller Night, Video Night, Study Night, tour of the Alderman digital/electronic centers, printing demonstrations, &c.).

1: Unfortunately the other demands of family and business precluded my full participation. 2: Sunday night dinner should always be a staple in the activities. 3: Perhaps more low key than I've experienced previously, but that comes perhaps with it being January and ours a small group. 4: This is always wonderful. I especially like the talk and reception. Study night, though quiet, is perfect on a Wednesday night, and the evening with the booksellers downtown is a favorite. 6: Enjoyed all. One lecture was long-winded, though. 7: Everything was good.

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

1: Yes. Grasping Gascoigne in advance. Take very seriously pre-class reading. 2: Yes (got my money's worth). Read your Gascoigne! 3: Very worthwhile. Absolute necessity if you want to consider yourself knowledgeable about the history and the art of the book. 4: There is nothing you can do to prepare yourself for this experience. There is nothing like it. 5: I have never taken a course at RBS when I didn't learn something helpful in day-to-day work. 6: I surely got my money's worth. Thank you! 7: Must do reading (Gascoigne) before coming or otherwise you will be overwhelmed.