Have you ever seen a library employee, arms laden with books, scurrying about the bookshelves or peering long and hard at a row of books like a nearsighted mole before finally placing a book on the shelf? Those are the Collection Support Aides.
A Collection Support Aide (CSA) is tasked with replacing returned books back on the shelves and ensuring that they are in the correct order. In addition, they remove damaged books, such as ones with pages falling out or ones with coffee spilled on them. No one wants a coffee-soaked book, and heaven forbid a lost page!
CSAs do a lot of work behind the scenes in addition to shelving. If the library branch has an Automated Materials Handler, we empty its bins of books, check-in some books by hand, process magazines, sort books for shelving, search for lost books, find the books placed on hold, and sometimes help out with the library's programs.
The job of CSA is fun for those like myself who enjoy being organized and everything to do with books. Making sure the collection is healthy and organized is, in a way, an expression of one's love for the written word.
Katherine Eitel
Collection Support Aide
Cumming Library
#WeKnowBooks
2 comments:
Thank you Katherine for all you do. Great write up!
As someone who constantly puts items on hold, I appreciate what you do!
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