Out With the Old and In With the New—A Huge Transition for the Campus Bookstore

November 15, 2007

By Christa Graham

Founders Bookstore is closing Nov. 15 in order to be stocked up with new merchandise supplied by a new company. However, student who need books, school supplies and snacks will not need to wait long. It will only take one or two days for the workers to re-stock, and then the store can open as Follett Bookstore.

The new company, Follett Higher Education Group, prides itself in being the largest college bookstore in America. Follett promotes ethical vendor policies and bench-marked customer service as well as sustainability (environmentally friendly products, recycling, etc.), said Ken Revenaugh, vice president of business affairs.

So, what changes will this transition bring about for MBU students? While there will be no new renovations done this spring semester, MBU students can look forward to a $35,000 renovation set to be completed by Fall semester of next year.

By transitioning to a new company, bookstore managers and overseers believe that students will be able to acquire their needed textbooks in a timelier manner than that of the past two semesters. “We will have the right book, in the right place, at the right time,” said Revenaugh.

Going forward, all online orders will come directly from a warehouse instead of from the inventory in the bookstore. The bookstore workers won’t have to spend as much time organizing different orders for the online customers. “It will allow us more time to help people,” said Hannah Jones, temporary manager of the bookstore.

Along with the bookstore’s re-opening on Nov. 16 or 17, Follett bookstore will welcome a new manager. Kristen Peebles, a former bookstore manager as well as a former textbook company representative, will take over for Jones, who has filled in until a manager could be hired.

With a new company and a new manager, the future of MBU’s bookstore looks bright. One can only hope that Follett lives up to their mission, which is “to support higher education by being the preeminent provider of academic and collegiate products and services.”

# # #