The A&T Bookstore is now under the new management of Barnes & Noble College.

In February, officials learned there was a 15.7 percent decrease in bookstore sales over the last five years and began to search for outside vendors to manage the bookstore. 

On July 15, during the second summer school session, the newly managed bookstore opened on campus.

Many students were not concerned about the new management of the bookstore. They were questioned whether or not the prices would be lowered. Students have often complained that the prices in the bookstore are too costly. 

As a result, students have turned to other sources including Amazon, Chegg, BookFinder, and Edward McKay to purchase their books.

For example, the textbook ‘Human Development’ by Crandell, costs $213.35 for a new book and $160 for a used book. On Chegg, the same book, if purchased new, costs $132.

“I choose to order books [online] because prices are reasonable for my pockets,” said Taylor Grier, senior child development major. Plus, I believe the main focus students should have to worry about is receiving an education rather than scraping up money for books that are sold in the bookstore and are continuously discontinued.”

Barnes & Noble College currently handles 700 campus bookstores and serves 4.5 million students. It is also the leading operator of campus bookstores with more than 250,000 faculty members.

Some of the bookstores include 24 colleges and universities in North Carolina as well as Yale, Harvard, and other top universities. Six schools within the UNC-System also have outside contractors including UNCG.

“We had a lot to learn in three weeks,” said Cynthia Beasley, general merchandise manager. “With the Barnes & Noble staff, they had other employees from other stores to come help us set up the store for fall.” 

As a contracted vendor, Barnes & Noble provides its book services to college campuses.

This year, Barnes & Noble plans to produce and generate better purchasing options for students, by creating a more effective rental textbook program and displaying more general merchandise. 

In addition, students have been given a wider selection of textbook rental options. Barnes & Noble College was the first company to offer in-store and online textbook rentals in student bookstores.

Students can rent a textbook for the semester for almost half the price and return their textbooks at the end of the semester. 

“The campus does receive a commission from every sale. Which means that those funds are allocated in what ever way the school has needs. It could be scholarships; it could be anything. So when you’re supporting your campus bookstore you’re supporting your campus,” said Catrina Jackson, the bookstore’s general manager who has worked with Barnes & Noble for 13 years. 

In the future, students can look forward to more advances and changes being made to Barnes & Noble of A&T including renovations and bigger space.

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• KAMIL LOCKLEY, Senior Reporter