101: Japanese Illustrated Books, 1615-1868
[I-85]3-7 October 2005
1) How useful were the pre-course readings?
1: Some readings providing background on Edo life and customs did not seem as relevant. I wished I had spent more time with catalogs and books with images before beginning. Knowing about the Ryerson catalog prior to the course might also have been useful. Overall, however, the readings were certainly very useful, and the length of the list was fine. 2: They were very useful to the course and I expect to refer to them again. 3: I felt a little heavy, but mostly gave me good background information. Yet, some of the them are very hard to access and read through. 4: They were useful to get general information of the Edo period. 5: Excellent background material. 6: Very useful. 7: Excellent. 8: The readings were most helpful in laying the groundwork for the course. I actually am looking forward to completing the optional readings that I did not finish. 9: Very useful as 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: Yes. Excellent resources that I will keep for reference! 2: They were very appropriate and when I return home and have more time for them, they will be extremely useful.3: Excellent. Yet, if there’s more handouts, better. It’s hard to take a note if you’re not familiar with names, titles language and dark classroom (during PowerPoint presentations). 4: Yes. 5: Yes.6: Yes there were numerous handouts distributed as part of the course and at field trips. I am sure they will prove useful in the future. 7: Useful in class and will be most helpful in the future - the summaries and other handouts were of the highest quality. 8: The materials distributed in class were most valuable and will become regular references for me. I would hope that Prof. Tinios has the opportunity to publish these as these is no single reference that so clearly presents this information. 9: Materials are well-organized with relevant information- could include more Kanji in some instances.
3) What aspects of the course content were of the greatest interest or relevance for your purposes? Was the intellectual level of the course appropriate?
1: I found everything presented in class to be of direct applicability to my job. Touching on Ukiyo-e prints was helpful, too. 2: I have some familiarity with Japanese prints, but before this course, almost none were Japanese books. The level of the course was appropriate, especially considering the different levels of experience in the class. 3: Basic knowledge of illustrated books of the period and the reference sources of further information. 4: It was great to actually handle rare books. I appreciate very much that Freer Gallery library gave us rare opportunity to use their materials. 5: Opportunity to see rare books of this period. 6: The instructor tailored the course to the participants. The students came from various backgrounds and it was interesting to have the materials presented in a way that gave different views on the subject - details of interest to librarians, archivists, collectors, dealers, conservators, etc. 7: All aspects were real useful - intellectual level high - but for me who was not knowledgeable when I came, the course was very good. 8: I have a much greater level of comfort with my ability to identify and evaluate the books. I was very pleased with the level of the course content. 9: Anything that helped me evaluate a book for cataloging - how to date; different printings; paper, color; background on publishing in Japan, etc.
4) Was time devoted to studying original materials at the Library of Congress and National Library of Medicine well-spent?
1: If there were another institution in the Washington area with relevant collections, I might suggest going there instead of the NLM. (It was interesting but perhaps, given the specialization, not as directly useful.) Going to LC was wonderful – both the books shown and the talk by the conservator. If this visit could ever be extended to one day, it would be ideal. 2: Yes - it added variety and another point of view. 3: Very much. 4: I really enjoyed the materials we looked at the National Library of Medicine, because it is very rare to see medical rare books. 5: Very much so - opportunities to discuss the conservation of books and to see the influences of western publications on Japanese book production. 6: Yes.7: Maybe the best day - but it only worked because of the previous three days - which gave us the grounding to appreciate the day at the LC. 8: Absolutely! 9: Yes! A great variety of material.
5) What did you like best about the course?
1: The instructor’s knowledge and enthusiasm for the topic; balance between PowerPoint slides, observation, and hands-on viewing of the books themselves; and emphasis on both the artists and the types of Edo books. 2: The chance to see a previously unfamiliar aspect of the book to me. 3: See and examine many real examples, especially different editions/printings of the same work for comparison.4: To be able to see the actual rare books. 5: Broad overview of many different types of books - presented using PowerPoint and real examples. Well-defined descriptions of the different types of publications. 6: Seeing the materials in person. 7: The ability to see and handle the books - with the knowledge of what had acquired in the course over the previous days. 8: The hands-on examination of the books was the highlight of the course, but a very close second was Prof. Tinios’ depth of knowledge and unbridled enthusiasm for the subject. 9: Chance to learn so much more about something I do at work. Small group so easy to meet/talk with classmates.
6) How could the course have been improved?
1: Rather than holding up books to show, perhaps more passing around in the book cradle, since the room was very dark. I would like more information on relevant Japanese-language scholarship (half of the class were Japanese readers and would have benefitted from a bibliography). 2: I was very happy with it - a remarkable amount of information was presented in a short time. 3: More handouts on course textbooks would be nice. 4: When the Instructor shows the actual rare books, it would be better if he says the title, author/painter, and the date at the beginning. 6: The facility and resources were excellent. The instruction and support staff were very knowledgeable. Maybe snacks for the morning break? 7: I don’t know - it was all such high quality it is difficult to suggest anything else. 8: Given the five-day time limit, the only improvements I would suggest - more hands-on time - would be hard to manage. 9: Include something more on how Edo leads to “modern,” Westernization.
7) We are always concerned about the physical well-being both of the RBS teaching collections and of materials owned by our host institutions. If relevant, what suggestions do you have for the improved classroom handling of such materials used in your course this week?
1: For most of the class there was no classroom handling except by the instructor. 2: Original materials were handled with remarkable care. 3: Clear instructions of the beginning of every class.4: I thought the instructor did good PowerPoint presentation as well as giving us chances to handle real books. 5: Nice balance of concern for the material and acknowledgment of our interest in handling the books. We were carefully instructed in techniques for handling. 6: Have additional book cradles made of the blueboard. Prepare matboard or card for viewing accordion books (as seen at LC tour). I think great care was taken by instructor, staff, and participants in handling the materials.7: We were well trained in how to handle the books before we did so - as far as I could tell everyone did what they were told and we were well experienced. 8: (No suggestions)
8) If you attended the Sunday reception and/or dinner, were they worth attending?
1: The Sunday dinner was really important in easing the formation of the group Monday. Everyone should be urged to attend! 2: The dinner was fun and I am glad I attended it. 3: No. I couldn’t. 5: Yes. The Sunday reception provide a pleasant opportunity to meet the professor and get to know the group before we began our work.6: N/A. 7: Yes. 8: It was very good to meet everyone and I would not miss it. 9: Yes.
9) Did you get your money’s worth? Any final thoughts?
1: It was a wonderful session that I would highly recommend to colleagues. I would suggest to anyone taking the course to spend more time on studying the images available to them in the readings in preparation. (They can always bone up on Tokugawa social history afterward.) Please have more courses on East Asian books! You could draw big classes, especially if you advertised more widely. 2: I did indeed get my money’s worth. The institution’s enthusiasm for the subject was especially appealing ad helpful. The number and quality of the materials used were remarkable. 3: Yes. It seems this is a course for basic Japanese printed materials in Edo period, emphasizing in printed illustrations. I would also like to take another Japanese printing course in the future. 4: Since my tuition did not pay for the workshop, the tuition was very expensive for me.5: Yes. 6: Yes.7: In case the message has not got through, it was one of the best weeks I have spent in my life. Enjoyment at a high intellectual and artistic level. 8: I consider the money and time spent a bargain for what I got form the course.9: Yes. I’m actually more interested in the subject that I was before I came - Edo is an interesting period of time in Japan and these books are part of that story.
Number of respondents: 09
Percentages
Leave Tuition Housing Travel
Institution Institution Institution Institution
gave me leave paid tuition paid housing paid travel
44% 33% 33% 33%
I took vaca- I paid tui- I paid for my I paid my own
tion time tion myself own housing travel
11% 67% 44% 56%
N/A: self- N/A: Self- N/A: stayed N/A: lived
employed, re- employed, with friends nearby
tired, or had retired, or or lived at
summers off exchange home
44% 0% 22% 11%
There were 4 General Librarians (44%), 1 Full Time Student (11%), 1 Antiquarian Bookseller (11%), 1 Conservator (11%), and 2 Retirees (22%).