Campus Bookstore Shifts Online
There’s something different about the BSU bookstore, and it’s certainly hard to miss. Textbooks that once lined the shelves are replaced by new BSU merch, and half of the store has seemingly vanished. This has led to some concern among students.
The bookstore is an essential part of student life, and understanding it is a crucial step for successfully navigating campus. Students rely on having a place to buy school supplies, books, and everyday supplies such as ethnic hair care products.
The recent changes were caused by the bookstore vendor change from Follett to eCampus.com earlier this year. Under the new system, students must now order books online, as textbooks are no longer sold in-store. Once a purchase has been made, students can either ship them to the store for pickup or directly to one’s home. Kathy Flaherty, executive director of IT project and service management, hopes the change will “Expand access, flexibility, and affordability while creating a better overall experience for our students.”
Student reactions have been largely negative to the change. “The black hair care section is gone now,” said one anonymous student. “It does look nice, but we want the old things back.” In addition, some students were rather shocked, “I was surprised that they made the bookstore smaller, I didn’t expect that at all,” said another anonymous student.
In place of the textbooks, the store now sells BSU merchandise such as sweatshirts, picture frames, and even ornaments for students to show school spirit. A few school supplies such as notebooks and some health and beauty supplies like toothpaste are still in stock.
When asked about these missing essentials, Jennifer McFarland, bookstore manager, said, “Because it’s a smaller space, we’re starting with a smaller assortment of both school supplies and health and beauty products that we hope to expand on as we continue to learn what’s most important to the students.”
