1. Describe depository staffing using the criteria in Section 6-2 of the "Guidelines for the Federal Depository Library Program." What other responsibilities does this staff have, and how many hours weekly are devoted to those duties? Include professional and support staff who contribute expertise, hours, etc., toward Federal documents.
Using student assistants for some processing and all shelving and
collection maintenance activities, the staff is generally adequate for basic depository work. 4-5 student assistants provide approximately 30 hours per week of service.
In addition, professional reference librarians, and a Systems
Librarian assist with basic documents reference, library instruction, collection use and awareness and technical support.
A professional librarian is designated by the library to coordinate depository activities and to act as liaison to the Superintendent of Documents in all matters relating to depository library functions. This librarian spends about 25-30 hours per week coordinating documents and documents related activities in Watson Library. Other duties of this librarian include 8-10 hours per week providing general reference service and participating in other professional library related activities including Library Instruction.
2. Is depository staffing adequate to perform all required tasks? If not, what duties are not being performed and how would a desired increase in staffing aid the depository operation?
During such times as semester breaks when no student help s
available, a part-time paraprofessional could assist in processing and clerical tasks. Otherwise, the Documents Librarian must see to these tasks herself.
A part-time paraprofessional would be helpful in minimizing
reliance on student assistants in processing and clerical functions. A paraprofessional would also be able to participate in training student assistants and in providing reference service for government documents. Having a paraprofessional to assist in
these functions would allow the documents librarian more time for
specialized reference work, promotion of the depository and
collection development.
3. How long have the depository coordinator and support staff held their positions? If vacant, how long?
The current Documents Librarian has been in her position since 1
July 1997 and comes to the position with nearly 4 years of
experience as a paraprofessional in the Government Publications
Department of the University of Kentucky Libraries (a Regional
Depository). The position was vacant from 1 October 1996
through 30 June 1997. Student workers are usually hired at the
start of their academic career at Northwestern and stay in a
department from 2-4 years. Rhoda Stevenson, the student
assistant left in charge of continuing the documents processing
during the time no professional librarian was in this position, is truly exceptional and has been with the library nearly 4.5 years.
4. Describe cross-training of support personnel to keep items processed, regularly available to the public, etc., if support staff is absent.
Student Assistants who have proven reliable are trained by and
work closely with the Documents Librarian on processing duties.
The Documents Librarian provides training and documentation
to all levels of student tasks. If no student assistants are present to assist with processing functions, the Document Librarian does them herself. Other professional librarians can provide basic assistance with the documents collection.
5. Describe any training and cross-training efforts the depository coordinator routinely or periodically attempts to keep other staff abreast of depository publications, electronic media, access tools, and other issues, e.g., general reference staff, security personnel, others with patron contact, etc.
A monthly report of depository activities is submitted to the Head of Reference Services and information is shared with other staff via electronic mail or announcements in Faculty meetings. An annual report of documents activities is submitted by the end of July of each year. Information included in these this report is incorporated into the Library�s Annual Report.
The Documents Librarian supplies staff and patrons with User�s
Guides to assist in promoting and using the government
documents collections. A "New Documents" display in the library
lobby and in the documents reading room alerts staff and
patrons to new and useful government documents. She also
supplies continuing education to library and university faculty and assists in library instruction, especially for those classes to which government documents will prove especially useful.
6. What support does the library administration provide to professional and para-professional staff training in terms of administrative leave and travel funds for depository-related meetings, workshops, etc.?
The library administration supports staff training, attendance to
important meetings etc. with paid leave and limited travel funds.
7. Describe the depository staff's participation in any local, state, or national documents interest groups, e.g., Interagency Depository Seminar, Federal Depository Conference, ALA, AALL, PLA, etc.
The current Documents Librarian is becoming active in Louisiana
library groups including the Louisiana Library Association and the North Louisiana Documents Group and plans to join ALA. She
plans to attend GPO�s Interagency Depository Seminar or the
Federal Depository Council in the near future.
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