James Green
H-70: The History of the Book in America, c.1700–1830
8–12 July 2013
Detailed Course Evaluation
1) How useful were the pre-course readings? Did you do any additional preparations in advance of the course?
1: Very useful, very pertinent. 2: Pre-course readings were useful, and aided in comprehension of a week moving quickly. 3: The pre-course readings were extremely helpful, although far wider and of course more detailed than the focus of this course. 4: The required and suggested readings for this class were extremely useful. I am so happy that I now own HBIA 1 and 3. I will come back to these volumes many times, I am sure. 5: Pre-course readings were very helpful. Several of the readings included essays written by JG, so having the opportunity to ask him questions directly was invaluable. 6: The pre-course readings were incredibly useful. All the contributors to The History of the Book in America parts one and two provided me with a sound basis for exploring the subject further with my RBS classmates. 7: The course readings were very useful and I will be referring back to them in the future. 8: Pre-course readings will be as useful after the course as they were before. Very helpful to have recommended portions of two very substantial volumes. 9: Very good. 10: The readings were very useful. 11: Great list—glad they are publicly available on the site so books for other courses are also visible. 12: Very. I was able to read most of the assigned—just one article behind—and purchased all the rest; browsed two volumes.
2) Were the course workbook and other materials distributed in class appropriate and useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?
1: Useful during class but will be less so out of context of the class. 2: The workbook had many examples of items and information not generally available, and will go into my reference collection. 3: The workbook material was integral to the lecture material. JG uses the workbook in something like the manner of PowerPoint illustrations—but the workbook is far more useful as it is permanent and a lasting part of the record of the course. 4: What a great resource! JG has really compiled a diverse and invaluable collection of documents here. I will definitely be using them and making a few pilgrimages to LC and AAS to visit the originals. 5: JG clearly put much time into preparing the workbook. Most especially useful were the documents JG included from his own research. 6: The workbook was quite useful in that it allows us closer examinations of examples. This not directly related to the work I do, but I will keep it for future reference. 7: They were very useful in class; I plan to refer to the bibliographies in the workbook for future reading. 8: Yes. 9: Yes—I have and will use extensively. 10: Yes. 11: Very—docs are one of the most valuable parts of the course—reflects careful, expert selection. 12: Very much so, and we went carefully through really all of it in class. Very suitable companion to the class sessions.
3) Have you taken one or more RBS courses before? If so, how did this course compare with your previous coursework?
1: Yes. This has been my second favorite class at RBS. I’d give it a 92%. 2: I have taken a few RBS courses, and have never been disappointed. The quality of this class was on par with the others, and the bar is set high. 3: Yes, very similar in scope and intensity in the mutuality of learning that went on and community that formed. 4: Yes. This class was different but, in many ways, so much better than the last class I took here. Better organized, way more engaging, and incredibly informative. JG goes above and beyond in his lectures and demonstrations. 6: This was my first RBS course. 7: I have enjoyed all of my RBS classes but this one has become my favorite. The conversation between the faculty members and the students was very forthcoming. 8: Yes. This course was the first book history course I’ve taken at RBS; I’ve taken bibliography courses before, which tend to be denser. This course allowed for a broader range of topics in classroom discussion, and was a good use of that bibliographic knowledge. 9: This was my first. 10: There was more lecture in this course, but balanced by the hands-on exercises and library visits. 11: No. 12: N/A.
4) What aspects of the course content were of the greatest interest or relevance for your purposes?
1: The material culture, and historical contextualization. 2: I found the technical aspects of printing (including paper type, &c.) most interesting, followed by the history of printer-bookseller-publisher. 3: The early Boston book culture; American reprint practice; and the spur to further work on book acquisition in the South in the colonial and federal periods. 4: I personally love everything 1750 to 1830, so, I suppose the last two-thirds of the course were the most relevant to my work; however, the entire class was so useful in terms of developing an overall picture of early American book culture that I’m hesitant to privilege one part over the others. 5: Coverage of late c18 and early c19 publishing history was probably most relevant. Having JG explain this history clearly and succinctly was great. 6: The realm of book publishing and the evaluation of the role of printers during colonial period. It was also particularly relevant to my interest in bindings and the analysis of economic and social changes in the study of book history. 7: I took the course primarily to get a better understanding of the early American books part of my library’s collection. The course has given me the tools to better understand the creation of books as a material object and how people interacted with them (production, distribution, and use). 8: Working in a historic American institution, I needed a greater familiarity with the core concepts and historical trends in American book publishing, reading, and collecting. 9: Publishing history, circulation, reading practice—though we didn’t do too much—and economics of the trade. 10: I found the discussion of bookselling methods particularly useful. 11: Printer–publisher networks; classification of books and genres; financing of books; and newspapers—context and publication. 12: This student especially appreciated the focus on Franklin and on the reprint revolution. These two topics are enlightening for any scholar of the period, and the instructor is the expert.
5) Did the instructor(s) successfully help you to acquire the information, knowledge, and skills that the course was intended to convey? Was the intellectual level of the course appropriate?
1: Yes! And yes! I liked that JG could delve as deep or as light as you wanted to go. 2: Yes, indeed. Yes. 3: Yes, in every possible way. Yes, respectfully so. 4: Yes!!! JG skillfully wove together book, intellectual, economic, and political history, always returning to the material book and never boring or belaboring points. We learned the theoretical and philosophical reasoning behind material practices and products. Very engaging. 5: The course conveyed far more than the course description indicated. Wonderful job. 6: Yes. JG is an excellent teacher. The course was nicely paced and I now feel as though I have a strong understanding of the subject. 7: Yes. 8: Intellectual level was spot on. I would have appreciated a bit more survey-style information to complement the very special examples that we studied in class, in order to better understand how those examples compare and contrast with national trends. 9: Yes. Intellectual level was very concrete and descriptive, which was appropriate. 10: Yes. 11: Yes. Added bibliographies very helpful for future research. 12: Very much so, with combination of course sessions, print and type hands-on session, review of materials at SC, PowerPoint, and instructor’s sheer knowledge of the subject.
6) What did you like best about the course?
1: JG’s teaching style was welcoming to conversation and questions. I loved all the show and tell. 2: Sorry, there is not just one thing. 3: JG’s precision of thought and expression, insistence on accuracy, accessibility to questions—linked of course to his wealth of experience with early North American publications and their contexts. 4: JG. Seriously, this course is full of great material, but without a knowledgeable, skilled, and patient instructor, this course would be a wreck. JG perfectly blended hands-on activities (printing &c.) with book time and engaging lectures. Great mix. Great course. 5: JG’s ability to explain complex workings of the book trade in ways we could all understand. 6: The instructor was very helpful and knowledgeable. I liked the materials we worked with in class, including the examples. My classmates contributed greatly to discussions that helped create a concrete understanding as well. 7: The instructor creates a very comfortable community for learning. 8: The instructor’s breadth and depth of knowledge was by far our course’s greatest asset. 9: I love the conversation in seminar that brought together the expertise of librarians, sellers, and academics in history and literature. JG facilitated this with a very light touch. And all the great hands-on time with incredible books! 10: I enjoyed learning more about the personalities and quirks of early printers, booksellers, and publishers. 11: JG was a delight. Enjoyed listening to his own unique take on the history. Also, LOVED handling so many books! 12: Instructor’s expertise and ease with student interaction. He let us talk freely and fully while not losing control of the discussion. Instructor and students were top-notch.
7) How could the course have been improved?
1: N/A. 2: Workbooks in color? (Kidding). 3: Hard pressed to think of any improvements. Appreciated all aspects, particularly the exercises with the books. 4: I have no idea. I mean, sure, I’d love to hear more about Byron and Scott reprints, but would that really improve this course? I don’t think so. JG gives the right amount of time to each part of the course and really gives one a feel for each period. Don’t change. 5: Cannot think of any way course could have been improved. 7: There could be a little better wrangling of the materials from RBS teaching collection. The circulation of these items occasionally distracted from the discussion. 8: Extra time in SC? 9: Only one pedagogical suggestion—more forest to go with the (marvelous) trees. Meaning, a stronger framing of the historical trajectory we are tracing—the big themes, questions, inflection points, debates, &c.—and how the examples speak to those. Nevertheless, the teaching was excellent. 11: Not an improvement, but emphasize in the course description the seminar style of the course—I learned a lot from my classmates and their questions. 12: No improvements necessary. One could see that the instructor had customized course for this particular set of students. Just great.
8) Did you learn what the course description/advertisement indicated you would learn? Additional comments optional. Y/N
1–3: Yes. 4: Yes. Is there a way to communicate how super cool lectures are? 5–10: Yes. 11: Yes. Was pleased with the amount of hands-on. Assumed it would be mostly lecture. 12: Yes—definitely, including instructor’s itemizing the topics, by way of surveying students’ interests.
9) Did you learn what you wanted in the course? Additional comments optional. Y/N
1: Yes. 2: Yes. I acquired an overview which will allow me to find what areas I wish to explore more fully. 3: Yes. As I hoped, I learned far more than I came hoping to learn. 4–7: Yes. 8: Yes. I would have enjoyed a more thorough coverage of newspapers, but that’s it. 9–11: Yes. 12: Yes: my particular project completely parallels the subject of the course. Perfect!
10) How do you intend to use or apply the knowledge or skills learned in this course?
1: Contextualizing libraries’ collections, in reference, and outreach about collections. 2: The knowledge gained will be used in my work as a bookseller, also in my personal collecting. 3: Deepens and broadens the scope of my understanding of the background of my personal book collections. More research on book acquisition in Virginia and the eastern Carolinas. 4: This course has given me a richer understanding of the ways in which reprint and importation helped shape the contours of early national cultural consciousness. As a scholar deeply interested in trans-Atlantic and Atlantic world culture, a better understanding of the economic and material realities of this period will help me formulate arguments about texts and nationalism. 5: In too many ways! I can’t see how the knowledge and skills I learned in this course will not contribute to my interactions with library patrons. 6: Yes. The library in which I work has many printed works made during this period in America. This will help me to work with the collection on a new level as well as to better assist patrons and scholars in this field of academics. 7: I hope to apply the knowledge in two ways: first, help users of my library’s collections better understand the materials that they use for their research; second, foster my own research projects that have been on the back burner for some time. 8: To better interpret and share collections at my home institution via digital projects, short seminars, exhibitions, and rare book cataloging. 9: In my academic research and teaching on American religious history. 10: This knowledge of the fundamentals will help me in my work and provide perspective for my narrower research focus. 11: For archival research for my dissertation—may actually go in a different direction with a chapter or two based on what I learned here. 12: Writing book on antislavery author from same period: especially eager to place author in context of print culture. This course has set that up for me very well.
11) If your course left its classroom, was the time devoted to this purpose well spent?
1: Yes! Yes! 2: We went to SC a couple of times, and yes, time well spent. 3: Yes—very valuable to see notable publications from this period. 4: Yes! I loved setting type and using the press. Now I understand how these things work. 5: Visits to SC helped to solidify many of the more abstract discussions we had in the class. 6: Yes. The SC material contributed greatly to the learning process. 7: Yes. 8: Yes. 9: Only to SC, but both trips were very useful. 10: Yes. 11: Yes—loved printing demos and time in SC. 12: Yes: at SC. We saw and reviewed fabulous stuff.
12) If you attended the evening events (e.g., RBS Lecture, Video Night, RBS Forum, Booksellers’ Night) were they worth attending?
1: Yes. 2: Booksellers’ Night well worth doing. 3: This week they were not. I attended both and both were engaging, intelligent speakers, but neither had direct applicability to the material culture of the book or printed material. The first was far more concerned with aesthetic theory; the second so theory-heavy and bibliographically unsophisticated that it did not repay time at the end of an already intense day. 4: The lectures were both very interesting and provoked discussion in our classroom. 5: I attended the lecture, Video Night, RBS Forum, and Booksellers’ Night. All were worth attending, especially because they help to bring RBS students together outside the classroom to continue the discussion. 6: Yes. They were worth attending. Each event offered mew perspectives on various book related fields. 7: Yes. 9: N/A. 10: Yes.
13) 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: N/A. 3: Think this aspect was well provided for. The felt-lined trays are constant reminders that caution is warranted at all times. 4: I think JG did a great job modeling hot to treat materials. 5: No suggestions. 6: Perhaps more book cradles and foam for better handling. 7: Well done! J 9: A few carts around the seminar table for students to place books—though I’m not sure if they’d become cumbersome. 10: It would be less confusing if materials were always passed in the same direction around the table, instead of going in multiple directions. 12: I saw no problems here.
14) Did you (or your institution) get your money’s worth? Would you recommend this course to others?
1: Yes. 2: Yes, and yes. 3: Very much so. I would most certainly—RBS courses provide people an unusual opportunity to learn about earlier cultural moments with lectures coupled with artifacts. 4: Yes. And yes, I already have. Twice. 5: This course is more than worth the money you pay for it, and I will absolutely recommend this course to others. 6: Yes, definitely—on both accounts. 7: Yes. 8–9: Yes! 10: Yes. 11: Yes! Have already recommended to two colleagues. 12: Absolutely.
15) Any final or summary thoughts, or advice for other persons considering taking this course in a future year? (If you have further praise/concerns, please speak with Amanda Nelsen or Michael Suarez.)
1: This is a thorough survey class with a lot of related asides about book culture and history in general. 4: Future student: read your HBIA and come prepared to talk. JG loves questions and it makes class so much fun! 5: Take this class! You will learn how the book trade operated form the c17 to the early c19. If you study this period, take this class and appreciate JG’s expertise. 6: Excellent course. 9: This course was a highlight for me—it opened my eyes to new avenues of thinking and research. 12: This course was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my now somewhat lengthy academic career. This student was delighted with all we did all week long. JG is the man for this subject, and I consider it an honor to study with him.
Aggregate Statistics
Number of respondents: 12
Leave
Institution gave me leave: 5 (42%)
I took vacation time: 1 (8%)
N/A: self-employed, retired, or had summers off: 6 (50%)
Tuition
Institution paid tuition: 8 (67%)
N/A: self-employed, retired, or scholarship: 4 (43%)
Housing
Institution paid housing: 6 (50%)
I paid for my own housing: 1 (8%)
N/A: stayed with friends or lived at home: 5 (42%)
Travel
Institution paid travel: 4 (33%)
I paid my own travel: 4 (33%)
N/A: lived nearby: 4 (34%)
Which one category most closely defines what you do for a living, or why you are at RBS? (Please check only one category)
Antiquarian bookseller: 1 (8%)
Student, M.L.I.S.: 1 (8%)
Student, Ph.D. (humanities): 2 (18%)
Librarian with some rare book duties: 1 (8%)
Library assistant/clerk: 1 (8%)
Rare book librarian: 3 (26%)
University, assistant professor: 1 (8%)
University, full or associate professor: 1 (8%)
Scholarly journal staff: 1 (8%)
How did you hear about this course?
RBS website: 5 (42%)
RBS printed schedule: 1 (8%)
Advertisement: 1 (8%)
Work colleague: 2 (17%)
Word of mouth: 1 (8%)
RBS faculty or staff recommendation: 2 (17%)