Deborah J Leslie

23: Rare Book Cataloging [L-30]

7-11 March 2005


 

1)   How useful were the pre-course readings?


1: Extremely useful and indispensable. 3: The pre-course readings were absolutely necessary to the class. Much discussion would have been meaningless to anyone who had not done the readings. 4: Very useful. 5: Useful. 6: They were helpful. I came with a basic understanding and time wasn’t spent in basic explanations.7: The pre-course readings were essential.

 

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 to both questions. All materials, along with the notes taken in the class, will be of great importance in practical application of the newly acquired knowledge 2: Yes. I will continue to use them when I return home. 3: I plan to use many of the materials from class both as daily reference material and for help in formulating library policy. I also hope to use them as a springboard into further readings. 4: Yes -- both for the class, and [they] will be terrifically helpful upon return to work. 5: Very useful in class and in the future. 6-7: Yes.

 

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: Yes to the second question. It is hard to distinguish between various aspects of the course in terms of their importance; they are all very relevant to the subject of rare book cataloging. 2: Yes. How to correctly interpret DCRB (and DCRM[B]). 3: Cataloging of hand-press materials. I will be doing a lot of work in this area in the next three years. The course discussions stayed on track and the intellectual level matched our needs. 4: All aspects were interesting and relevant to the work I will be doing. I felt a little lacking because of my inexperience with rare books, but in general, things discussed in the course were not too far out of line with my level of knowledge. 5: Historical lectures on book production, and the practicum of rare book cataloging. The intellectual level was appropriate. 6: What to watch for in describing a rare book. 7: Cataloging of the handpress-era books. The intellectual level was appropriate.

 

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


1: Absolutely. Our “field trip” downstairs was a great illustration of problems that a rare book cataloger will encounter and must address if he/she wants to provide an honest result of his/her work. 2: Yes. 3: Very well-spent time -- we saw collators and were introduced to the same book in very different issues. 4: Yes -- quite appropriate for what we discussed in class that day. 5-7: Yes.

 

5)   What did you like best about the course?


1: Systematic organization of material, clarity of instruction, congeniality, and the privilege of learning from the instructor with a wealth of knowledge to share with the beginners. 2: I appreciated the listing of various bibliographies in our workbook and in pre-course readings. 3: The opportunity to see how these rules/ideas fit my work and the work of those from other institutions. 4: The opportunity to learn from someone who obviously knows the material in great depth and who is also so enthusiastic and effective in presenting it. 5: Hands-on practice (with rare books) in cataloging. 7: Collation.

 

6)   How could the course have been improved?


1: I believe we all greatly enjoyed the series of films on book production. However, the film on bookbinding is in such poor condition that one could hardly see any of it. Perhaps RBS could think of creating a new film on the subject (or several others) with the school’s outstanding instructors as the narrators. 3: It could have a second-week component that would expand the “practicum” so that the students could practice cataloging and get feedback. We did some, which was very helpful. More would be ever more helpful. 4: I don’t think it could have been. 5: At times I wished there were computer facilities in the classroom, either for reference or for neater transcriptions. But I see that space considerations might rule out PCs.

 

7)   We are always concerned about the physical well-being both of the RBS 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: Handling was part of our curriculum, thus (re)alerting everyone to its importance. On the practical side, it might be helpful to obtain more foam supports. Another practical suggestion: lids on coffee cups to prevent or at least minimize the danger of spills. 3: I thought the staff and students showed a great deal of care in handling the materials. Perhaps a “horror” show early in the week might help students imagine ways to improve their handling. 4: None -- DJL continually emphasized the importance of careful handling, and she and the school provided means for us to do that as much as possible. 5: N/A. 6: None. 7: More supports per book.

 

8)   If you attended the Sunday and/or Monday night lectures, were they worth attending?


1: Absolutely! 2: Yes. 3: They were a good introduction to RBS, although the Monday event was less a lecture than a brief welcome. 4: Yes. 5: Attended Sunday night lecture -- entertaining but nonessential. 6-7: Yes.


9) If you attended Museum Night, was the time profitably spent?


1: Extremely. The exhibits and the accompanying material were very well thought out and organized, and the presentations were wonderful. 2: Yes. 3: The museums are fabulous -- great things to see, and context within which to study them (e.g., printing surfaces or Jane Eyre). 4: Yes. 5: Enjoyed Jane Eyre talk and ProScope demonstration. 6: Yes. Seeing the printing surfaces helps clarify printing practices. 7: Yes.

 

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


1: Much more than that. It was not only an opportunity to learn new things, but an excellent chance to do so in a very congenial environment. Your hospitality is outstanding. The high quality of instruction is well-known in the library community. It was one of the most productive weeks in my career. It took preparation, but all those who take their class seriously and spend time to come prepared will walk away much richer than they come. 2: I am absolutely appreciative that I was able to attend RBS. DJL helped me to better understand the notion that a book also has a certain artifactual value. 3: Definitely worth the investment. The best thing prospective students can do is to see this as a chance to meet others with similar tasks/demands, and in the process they can become part of much larger discussions of rare materials and their preservation, study and access. 4: Yes -- I learned as much in this course as I have in some regular, semester-length courses (> $2,000). I would recommend that anyone in rare book cataloging or a related field take this course as long as DJL is teaching it -- she does a fantastic job. The week was strenuous, but well worth the time. 5: Yes, my cataloging has been improved by taking the course. 6: Yes; no. 7: Yes.


Number of respondents: 7


Percentages


Leave                       Tuition                    Housing                   Travel


Institution                 Institution                 Institution                 Institution

gave me leave            paid tuition               paid housing              paid travel


100%                          71%                            86%                            100%



I took vaca-                I paid tui-                  I paid for my              I paid my own

tion time                    tion myself                 own housing              travel


0%                              0%                              0%                              0%



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


0%                              29%                            14%                            0%



There were 4 rare book librarians (57%) and 3 general librarians with some rare book duties (43%).


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