Emergency & Short Notice Coverage
Service provided 2004-05 academic year only
Required immediate action covering libraries not opened when scheduled to be so, etc.
All assistance provided on a temporary basis and took place in public service units during regular work week (i.e. no evenings, weekends, breaks)
Sandy Wolf provided emergency service to these divisions:
Arts & Humanities (English Library)
Special Collections (Map & Geography, Newspaper Library
Area Studies (Women & Gender Resources)
Cyclical Coverage (see spreadsheets for details)
The Undergraduate Library Reserves area receives the majority of assistance that the CAMELS Team is able to provide. Team members spend their time processing reserves for classes across campus. CAMELS supported UGL by providing them with 132 hours of assistance in 2004-05, 78 hours in 2005-06 where work only took place second semester, and 108 hours in 2006-07. Based on the most recent data from 2006-07, it is safe to assume that the Undergraduate Library Reserves unit utilizes at least 150 hours of CAMELS assistance during predictable peak periods to cover both semesters (so approx. 75 hours per semester..)
Peak periods occur 4-6 weeks surrounding the beginning of fall and spring semesters, with start dates of roughly 2 weeks before the first day of instruction.
The largest discharging unit, Main Circulation/Stacks, also receives support from CAMELS. The figures vary semester to semester based on how many student assistants are able to work during finals week and the weeks that follow when book returns are at their heaviest levels. This places their peak periods at about mid-December to early January, and mid-May to early June. Again, based on the most recent figures, the Stacks discharging unit uses about 40 hours of extra help per academic year (20 per semester).
When Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery (ILL/DD) needs assistance, it takes place during Thanksgiving and Spring breaks. These are the time periods when many students are preparing to gather research materials to complete final papers and assignments. ILL/DD can use from 20-30 hours of CAMELS help per semester depending on the number of their regular student workers who remain on campus during breaks. Much of the work performed at ILL/DD amounts to unbundling and sorting large book bags. The work can be dirty and physically demanding at times.
Unfilled & Under-filled Requests
During the FY ’07, several requests went unfilled or under-filled where the level of assistance did not meet the needs of the unit.
UGL Call Slip numbers spike beginning one week prior to the start of each semester (January 10-26, 2007). This request was not able to be filled but would require approximately 15 hours per semester. Note that it overlaps in timeframe with UGL’s need for assistance for the processing of Reserves.
UGL heavy book return and re-shelving backup occurs during finals week and the few weeks following the end of each semester. CAMELS provided 16 hours of help but this not meet the requirements of the unit.
Challenges
Need seems to be there, but what arrangement should be employed for strengthening the numbers of participants and moving out of “pilot project” mode and into a sustainable model.
Volunteer model (currently in use but part of pilot project version and not sustainable)
Build into people’s jobs
Competency issues—what skill sets and levels are required to meet needs—training becomes a part of this issue too.
Scenarios Minus CAMELS
Where would UGL/IMP be without CAMELS help in terms of reserve turn-around time? (Parallel question becomes “Where would students and faculty be with a longer turn-around time for completing reserve requests?”)
How does a longer processing time effect IRRC in terms of incoming and outgoing materials? Does this impact our users and the Library’s relationship with the I-Share community.
When returned materials are not able to be discharged in a timely fashion—what impact does that have on our patrons and library staff (is the Billing Office effected by fielding overload of phone calls and emails asking why materials still on their account…)
Prepared by Sandy Wolf 6-18-2007