The new management of the bookstore has not been impressive so far.As students have transitioned from the winter to spring quarter, they have become painfully aware that the convenience offered by the DU-managed bookstore has transformed into the inconvenience of a national chain.
The bookstore should work to address the problems that I am about to describe, and the students should encourage them to do so.
The DU bookstore does not stock the same items as the old bookstore and often does not reflect the needs of students.
I have gone into the store several times looking for simple office supplies previously offered by the old system. More often than not, I have not been able to find what I need, such as a simple manila envelope.
The electronics section within the bookstore seems to have been gutted, and I was forced to make a trip to the Apple store in Cherry Creek to make a necessary purchase.
It has even been difficult for professors to put up their textbooks. The new management clearly does not understand the needs of the students at the University of Denver and should work harder to understand what sort of supplies that we want to buy.
The bookstore’s handling of textbook buybacks has also been horrendous.
I tried to go and sell my most expensive textbooks, and was told that they were overstocked. This was the very first day of buyback. Many of my fellow students have also encountered this problem and are unable to get back the money that many of them depend upon.
When buying textbooks for this quarter, many of the books that I wanted to buy were not being sold as used books as well.
The mismanagement of the system has created a black market at DU. The white book buyback van is popular, and the DU Facebook groups are filled with students trying to sell their books; many of them are successful.
The bookstore is not able to adapt to the market of used textbooks, and now students are turning to other ventures. The bookstore should be the central clearing house for students, and it is a shame the management doesn’t understand this.
There are various problems with the bookstore. I have a friend who had to quit her work-study job because of the change, and it seems the new employees are not students at all. I urge the administration and the new management to look critically at the transition and make sure it best serves the students at DU.
The school will only start to lose money if the store continues to be such an inconvenience, and I would urge them to return to the old system if necessary.
B
