Jan Storm van Leeuwen
B-50: Advanced Seminar in the History of Bookbinding
22–26 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: The pre-course reading list is comprehensive; an excellent resource though not all books available—I managed to find most of them and indeed own a fair number of them. 2: Very helpful, though several were difficult to access, even through ILL. I read as much as possible from JSVL’s introductory course, too. 3: Very useful. 4: Know most of the readings already; read other supporting material. 5: Very useful but there was a tremendous amount of material. 6: Very helpful and important to understand course content and context. 7: Wonderfully useful. 8: N/A 9: Very useful; I read and re-read some of the literature as well as some other sources in selected bibliographies. 10: I was not able to locate all of the books for the pre-course reading, but what I was able to track down was good. 11: The pre-course readings were useful. I was able to check them out at my library, otherwise I would not have been able to read through them. 12: Reading list was and, I hope, will be very useful. I prepared my presentation for the course also.
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: Especially the workbook and additional images and descriptions excellent. They will be exceedingly useful in the future, until JSVL publishes his book! 2: The workbook is excellent. I used it often during the course and will certainly return to it. If possible, distribute it a bit earlier. 3: Yes, very much so. 4: Yes, useful. Wish you could afford to print in color. 5: They will be extremely useful—especially after I get back home. 6: Excellent material that will guide me in the future. 7: Absolutely useful, and will be so in future. 8: Workbook and materials were quite helpful, especially the rubbings and book descriptions JSVL did. 9: Very useful and I will be using most of it in my work. 10: Yes, very useful. It was particularly useful to get the instructor’s descriptions and rubbings of books I described during the course. 11: The workbook will be most useful as a reference book when I get back to work. 12: Absolutely useful!
3) Have you taken one or more RBS courses before? If so, how did this course compare with your previous coursework?
1: Yes. The level has been consistently good. Fortunate to have superb teachers. 2: Same excellent, high standard. 3: Yes. I thought this class was particularly very good, most likely because it was advanced. 4: All of high quality, even grumpy Belanger; JSVL’s courses are very good. 5: The courses have all been great but so different that it is hard to compare one to another. 6: Yes. This was the best I have taken so far. 7: Yes—this course was on par with the previous two courses I’ve taken at RBS. 8: I’ve taken several courses. This one was more detailed for certain time periods, and I felt I had a better rasp in more detail than before. One of the better courses, I think. 9: This is my sixth course and all have been of the highest quality with all contributing to my appraisal practice. 10: Yes, they were equally informative and excellent. 11: I have taken many classes before and this was one of the best! 12: I took one course.
4) What aspects of the course content were of the greatest interest or relevance for your purposes?
1: The remarkable collections of RBS and the SC were invaluable in illustrating and writing descriptions. The lectures and images as well as providing physical examples. 2: Opportunity to handle and describe bindings from UVA’s SC, and to receive practical advice on description from JSVL. Also, access to RBS’s excellent reference library. 3: I found it all very interesting. The description of bindings is probably the most relevant. 4: Obviously, the PowerPoints, where many examples can be seen and discussed. 5: Seeing all the bindings and having JSVL’s knowledge about each one. 6: The discussion of (and practice with) a form for description. 7: Particularly interested in the focus of European bindings as up to now I’ve concentrated on American. Also appreciate the attention given to c16 and c17 bindings as I’m more familiar with c18, c19, and c20. 8: None of the material was relevant to my specialty, but the time in SC reviewing and describing the actual bindings was the most interesting and the most useful. Made me aware of more details on the bindings, and what to look for. 9: Detailed examples of terminology and binding styles enhanced with photos. Also, a sample form for evaluating bindings—very useful for me. 10: Being introduced to research material I had not been familiar with, clarification on specific terms and definitions, exposure to many physical examples that highlighted differences in binding styles of different regions and time periods. 11: The in-class exercises were an excellent way to learn a formal methodology for binding description and doing multiple descriptions helped since we applied the format to many different bindings. 12: Description.
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: The instructor is no less than a treasure. His breadth of knowledge, generosity as a teacher, wonderful. Intellectual level good. 2: Course was very much as described. Expectations of participants was appropriate for seminar, as was JSVL’s approach. 3–4: Yes. Yes. 5: The intellectual level was perfectly appropriate and I felt like it accomplished everything I hoped it would. 6: Perfect. 7: Absolutely! 8: Intellectual level was good for me. JSVL wanted you to work the binding problems out for yourself, but if you hit a problem (usually language oriented) he would help you out. 9: JSVL goes out of his way to give complete explanations to the class as a whole and each individual student. 10: Yes, though his approach is more Art History than I need or have encountered; it was nonetheless useful and interesting. 11: Yes. 12: Yes.
6) What did you like best about the course?
1: The exchange between the class and students and teacher. 2: JSVL and UVA’s SC. 3: The enthusiasm of the instructor. 4: Everything, including the other students. 5: Spending time with JSVL! 6: Wonderful mix of interests and backgrounds led to nice student presentations. Also, JSVL’s passion and stories enliven the material – the class was as entertaining as it was educational. 7: JSVL is such an amazing teacher—he is a true gem. 8: I liked the days in SC and the individual student presentations. 9: JSVL and his vast store of knowledge. 10: Depth of the instructor’s knowledge; specific anecdotes about historical persons; access to examples from SC. 11: We had an excellent class, everyone was well-prepared and had a similar level of experience and understanding. 12: Professionalism.
7) How could the course have been improved?
2: More time to work with and use of RBS reference library. Not enough time in the day. 4: See number two (despite having received a color PDF of the booklet). Maybe a better variety of breakfast and break food. 5: More time for binding study—more time with JSVL. 6: N/A! 7: Nothing to improve upon in my opinion. 8: More time in SC with a wider time period of examples. 9: Can’t think of any improvement. 10: I can’t think of any way.
8) Did you learn what the course description/advertisement indicated you would learn? Additional comments optional. Y/N
1–8: Yes. 9: Yes. And then some. 10–12: Yes.
9) Did you learn what you wanted in the course? Additional comments optional. Y/N
1: Yes. Makes me want to take another with this teacher! 2–8: Yes. 9: Yes. And then some. 10–12: Yes.
10) How do you intend to use or apply the knowledge or skills learned in this course?
1: Cataloguing my own collections, and in teaching, working with interns, &c. 2: Working with binding collections at my own institution, and continuing to work through literature presented in class. 3: Describing bindings in catalog records. 4: Yes, in my bookbinding research. 5: I will not only use the knowledge from the course to analyze the materials I work on but will share the information learned with my colleagues. 6: With my own research; in my teaching. 7: I am interested in beginning my own course of study and perhaps adding blog entries and so forth. 8: This will help immeasurably with binding descriptions and being more aware of the details to look for in particular bindings. 9: This course will enhance my appraisal practice allowing me to better serve my clients. 10: I intend to continue studying; using the books that were recommended will help in identifying regions and time periods where books were produced. 11: I plan to continue binding research as part of my work. 12: In my researches (and Ph.D.) and in my work as a librarian.
11) If your course left its classroom, was the time devoted to this purpose well spent?
1: Yes. 2: Trips to SC were time well spent. 3: Yes, the visits to SC were important. 4: Yes. 5: Yes, we made several trips to SC that were helpful. 7: Yes—loved the description practicum at SC. 8: Yes – SC was my favorite. 9: N/A 10: Yes, to SC. 11: The visit to SC was great! 12: Yes, and yes.
12) If you attended the evening events (e.g., RBS Lecture, Video Night, RBS Forum, Booksellers’ Night) were they worth attending?
1: Yes. 2: Lectures were great, movie night was fun. 3: Yes. 4: I don’t much like them unless they feed my personal interests. 5: Yes, an important part of a week at RBS. 6: Several, and they were nice. 7: Yes. 8: Loved the lecture series. I always appreciate someone’s enthusiasm for their particular topic or specialty. 9: Yes. 10: The lectures were not too interesting to me personally—two collectors in a row. I would have liked more variety. 12: Yes, especially the RBS Lectures.
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: Handling done with care in our class. 4: None that I can think of. 5: I thought there was a nice balance in the class of protecting the materials and handling enough for study. 6: Very pleased with the way materials were made available. Expectations were clear and I appreciated the mutual respect everyone had for each other (and materials). 7: Everyone was well-behaved and experienced in handling the materials. No concern whatsoever. 8: Everyone was very careful. 9–10: No. 11: Maybe only two students per table in SC? Many of us had laptop computers and it was hard to have room for books and cradles and magnifiers and so on.
14) Did you (or your institution) get your money’s worth? Would you recommend this course to others?
2: Definitely my institution’s money was well spent. I would highly recommend this course to anyone. 3: Yes. Yes. 4: RBS courses are worth the cost, even as the production costs increase. Yes, to recommend. 5: I would highly recommend any course that JSVL teaches. 6: Yes and yes! 7: Yes and enthusiastic yes. 8: Absolutely! Would recommend in a heartbeat. 9: Very much so. 10: Yes. 11: Yes,3 and yes! 12: Yes, Yes!
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: Highly recommended—without exception—what a remarkable five days of learning. 4: A diverse class makes the questions more interesting, rather than one of all with the same exact interests. 7: Thank you so much for continuing to provide us with such an incredible experience. The instructors are absolutely the best and it is wonderfully refreshing to be in their presence. I cannot wait to return to my work and apply what I’ve learned. 9: JSVL’s two courses are essential to a proper understanding of bindings.
Aggregate Statistics
Number of respondents: 12
Leave
Institution gave me leave: 6 (50%)
I took vacation time: 1 (8%)
N/A: self-employed, retired, or had summers off: 5 (42%)
Tuition
Institution paid tuition: 7 (58%)
I paid tuition myself: 5 (42%)
Housing
Institution paid housing: 3 (25%)
I paid for my own housing: 7 (58%)
N/A: stayed with friends or lived at home: 2 (17%)
Travel
Institution paid travel: 3 (25%)
I paid my own travel: 8 (67%)
N/A: lived nearby: 1 (8%)
Which one category most closely defines what you do for a living, or why you are at RBS? (Please check only one category)
Book collector: 2 (17%)
Cataloguer, rare book: 1 (8%)
Conservator/binder/preservation librarian: 3 (25%)
Ph.D. (library & information studies): 1 (8%)
Librarian with no rare book duties: 1 (8%)
Librarian with some rare book duties: 1 (8%)
Retired: 1 (8%)
Teacher or professor: 1 (8%)
Appraiser: 1 (8%)
How did you hear about this course?
RBS website: 8 (67%)
Word of mouth: 1 (8%)
RBS faculty or staff recommendation: 3 (25%)