Never a dull moment

The RBS day is a model of fine tuned planning. A morning breakfast of carbs and caffeine greet groggy students in the RBS Press Room. We've all got 30 minutes to perk up and be ready for class at 8:30. There are two mandated breaks during the day, 10:00 and 3:00. We all troop back to the Press Room to chat and finish off the morning's left over carbs and a couple of well worn bananas. A generous hour and a half for lunch gives students the opportunity to linger over a meal, check out the many exhibits on campus, take a campus tour, shop at the best university bookstore I've ever seen, or beat the squirrels to a soft spot beneath the trees on the Lawn for a quick nap.

The class day ends at 5:00 but there's only a short time before the evening activities begin. There's something planned every night of the week. Sunday night's opening lecture delivered by Terry Belanger could be called the RBS State Address. It's a summation of the year, a peek at new course offerings, and anything else that's on Terry's mind. Monday's lecture always features a noted guest. Last night's speaker was Richard Kuhta of the Folger Shakespeare Library. Tuesday is known as Video Night. Tonight's choices were a PBS Nova production, Infinite Secrets, the story of the discovery of the Archimedes palimpsest, and Alphabet, The Story of Writing. I chose the Nova episode on Archimedes.

Wednesday night is study night. The Rare Book School suite opens to allow students to take a closer look at the reference and teaching collections. These collections are considerable and noteworthy. I've already made a short list of items I hope to see including an illustrated version of John Carter's ABC for Book Collectors, which was created here at RBS, and a book I'd just like to hold in my hands, the art nouveau masterpiece Morte d'Arthur, illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley.

Thursday night brings the much anticipated Bookseller Night. Many local booksellers keep late hours in an effort to feed the pent up desires of RBS students. After studying books all week we are ready to search for the very thing we've spend every day learning about. It must be a lot like shooting fish in a barrel for the booksellers. Many of them put out a little spread for starving students and make a night of it. It's a lot of fun.

The week closes with a final get together. It's a great time to exchange cards with folks we've exchanged ideas with all week. We know we'll see each other again. If not at the next conference, we'll meet again at Rare Book School next summer!