| By
Jaclyn Rowbotham
Look no more to beat those long lines and that endless searching for
that book you need at the bookstore. The Golden Lion Book Store is now
offering online services.
With about 90% of RVCC students shopping for texts at the college bookstore,
availability and convenience is important to these consumers. Now students
no longer have to worry about making a wasted trip to the bookstore to
find that their book is no longer in stock.
The online service offered by the Golden Lion Book Store began this semester
and seems to be catching on, says John Gouldey, the bookstore manager.
Offering these online services, the Golden Lion Book Store is able to
tackle some of their greatest challenges. “We constantly need to
have what books are on demand, some things need to be specially ordered,”
says Gouldey. “We also try to make our prices cheaper then Amazon’s.”
Increasingly competition comes mostly from Amazon.com, as well as other
online textbook companies.
Regular-priced textbooks from Amazon.com also vary from the Golden Lion
Book Store. Amazon.com prices range between $10 higher and $30 lower than
the Golden Lion Book Store depending on the textbook.
Judy Anderson, coordinator of bookstore operations, says “We mark
our prices up 20% from the original wholesaler.”
Asked if the bookstore was profiting in general, Gouldey commented, “The
college book store is not losing money and that is why the college puts
their trust into running a college bookstore.”
Gouldey and Lester Miller of the Purchasing Department preferred not to
comment on the exact sale figures of the book store.
There is also the issue of used books
or “buy-backs,” an option students use to save money. Where
Amazon.com sells used textbooks online, the bookstore most likely does
not see any possibilities of offering the same services in the near future.
Missouri Books is an independent wholesaler
that comes to the Golden Lion Book Store to repurchase used-textbooks
by conducting a “buy back.” This is why “buy backs”
are only done at certain times of the year. Also, to do “buy back”
services online would be difficult for an independent wholesaler, such
as Missouri Books; they would have to ship books back and forth from the
student to the wholesaler.
Amazon.com used-textbook prices seem to vary from a $10 to $80 difference
of lesser value than the exact same textbooks that are sold at the Golden
Lion Book Store.
“Pre Calculus Without Limits,” 4th edition, sells in the bookstore
for a used price of $100, where on Amazon.com, the exact same book is
sold at a used price of $22.95.
Regarding how and why used books are set at specific prices, Gouldey said, “Prices in (buy backs) change on demand. As soon as a new edition
of a book is announced, the buy-back price is affected.”
“I think books are way too expensive, and it is pointless to do
buy-backs because it seems like you only get $5 back in return,” says student Sara Vokes.
When purchasing books online, there is a shipping fee charged at the Golden
Lion Book Store. Ordering two books online from the bookstore runs a shipping
and handling fee of around $6. Delivery time varies between three to five
business days. On Amazon.com, free shipping is offered for purchases over
$25 and can ship with the same delivery time.
Still, shopping online at the Golden Lion Book Store can be an easier
task for RVCC students. Simply typing in your specific class and course
number you can easily view what books are required for your class. Students
are also able to view books that have been specially ordered by their
professors in which students are also preferred to have.
You can order your books online at http://bookstore.raritanval.edu. |
