While students are getting prepared to finish the semester and take their finals, the University Bookstore is preparing for its own end-of-the-semester rush.

Students will be returning their books during finals week, from Dec. 16 – 20.

Starting two weeks ago, the University Bookstore began advertising to hire new student staff members, store manager Camille Weixel said.

The store was able to double its staff, which will serve as the extra help needed for the rush, she said.

The store is making some other transitions within the store that will impact the rush and the conditions in general.

“We’ve done a lot of good planning,” Weixel said.

During the fall rush, the bookstore had 21 registers, which will also be the case for rush this semester, senior Janine Honebrink said.

In addition to hiring extra student help just for the rush, there has been some extra work done to further train current employees.

“We have done some cross training within the different departments,” Honebrink said. “This helps because employees from other areas of the store, like shipping and receiving, can cashier as well.”

Weixel said “rush is like Christmas for Toys ‘R’ Us.” About 50 percent of business comes in September and about 40 percent in January, she said.

“Everyone at the bookstore takes pride in accomplishing a job well done,” Honebrink said. “We all take responsibility in making sure the bookstore runs smoothly.”

The bookstore has gone through many transitions, especially recently, as it was out-sourced to Barnes and Noble in February of 2001.

The most recent change was the addition of Weixel as the store manager in September.

Even though her first official day was Sept. 9, Weixel said she was in and out of the store in July to help prepare for the fall rush.

When she was starting at UW-Eau Claire’s bookstore, she was also finishing her job at the bookstore at Augsburg College (Minn.), she said.

Weixel said it was exciting to work at two stores during the back-to-school rush. It was sad to leave her old job, she said, but everyone at Eau Claire made the transition easier for her to handle.

“(The transition) was shaky at first, but Camille is great and we get along with her really well,” said senior student employee Emily Perrault.

Weixel has been with Barnes and Noble for six years. She started out the same way that many UW-Eau Claire students are now by participating in the Bestseller Program before graduating from college in 1997.

The Bestseller Program is for juniors or seniors who are interested in a career with Barnes and Noble after graduation, said Honebrink, who is in the program.

The previous store manager, Brian Butnik, left the store because he decided he did not want to pursue a career with Barnes and Noble, Weixel said.

In addition to being a Bestseller, Honebrink is part of the management team, and she has noticed how Weixel has helped the store.

“Camille has been really good for our store,” she said. “She has a lot of experience in the bookstore business and is very knowledgeable.”

With rush week on the way, Weixel said she is hopeful about how it will go. The entire staff has looked to the past for ways to improve and has the right attitude, Weixel said.

“I’m really confident that it will be the best semester yet.”