SGA aims to place book list online

Author: Adam Dede

On Oct. 7 the Student Government Association (SGA) continued their discussion from last meeting concerning the addition of class booklists to BannerWeb. With details still in the works, the initiative will give students the option to buy books online, prior to the beginning of term. Senator Vrutika Mody '10, who sponsored last week's bill on the booklist initiative and is working with Bob Jansen, bookstore manager, hopes to have booklists online as soon as spring semester.

"This might help you with your Add and Drop Period," said Mody, noting that if students could see what they would have to read for a class they might make a more informed decision about adding or dropping it.

"Kids can look at the classes and see what is going to be read in that class and can...get an understanding...of what the class structure is going to be like," said Junior Senator Bobby Joe Smith '09.

Ross Senator Derek Sakamoto '10, however, felt that an online booklist might be unnecessary.

"Are students having problems getting their professors to tell them what books they need for that class?" said Sakamoto. "I mean I got all my books before I got here." Sakamoto said that he e-mailed all of his professors during the summer in order to obtain booklists.

"I think that would be unfair to kids who aren't as comfortable emailing professors," responded Mody.

Sakamoto, however, persisted and even went so far as to say that it is possible to profit from the bookstore.

"Another thing to consider is will the bookstore still buy back books?" said Sakamoto. "I really like buying my books cheaper on Amazon and then getting paid back more by the bookstore."

Others quickly pointed out that while Sakamoto's method works on a small scale, if everyone e-mailed their professors over the summer, the professors would be swamped.

"That seems like a heavy burden on the professors," said Senator Nicolas Sohl '10.

Other senators feared that the bookstore would block any attempt to put booklists online.

"I think the bookstore really won't like this idea," said Scott Kessler '08, Inter-House Senator, "it means they're going to lose a lot of money. I think we really might kill the bookstore." Kessler's opinion was echoed by many of the senators, who feared that online booklists would not be supported by the bookstore.

Despite the criticism, Mody still argued that it is necessary to work with the bookstore.

"I want to make sure that I can convince the bookstore," said Mody, who emphasized that without the bookstore's help the idea probably will not work. "I have a lot of respect for the new manager. He does things with the students perspectives in mind."

In an interview with The Middlebury Campus, Jansen countered comments made by many of the senators and made it clear that he really is willing to work with SGA to get booklists online. He readily admitted that textbooks are expensive, and that his store is no exception. However, he was quick to point out that the College Bookstore is better than most across the nation.

"We're below national average as far as how we price books here," said Jansen, "So we're competitive. Probably half the time we're going to have a price lower than what you can find online, if we have a used book."

Jansen also made it clear that he is interested in getting booklists online.

"We're moving to eventually have an online list," said Jansen. "That's essentially what we've been moving towards with a new point of sales system. Within the next 12 months I'll have a fully integrated online store, with all my books and everything."

The main hurdle, according to Jansen is the faculty.

"It is dependent on the faculty turning in timely textbook adoptions," said Jansen. "They have certain deadlines and if they meet those deadlines then it should be timely for everybody." Jansen stressed that really everything depends on the faculty, since the earlier they choose the books, the earlier the bookstore can begin searching for used books. According to Jansen, three main used book suppliers, Missouri Book Company, Follett Corporation and Nebraska Book Company, supply the whole system of college bookstores in the U.S.

"They have football fields and football fields of used books," said Jansen, "and when we can access that data (teacher book lists) in a timely fashion we can go out there and do what's called want list. We can repeatedly go out there and say, 'do you have this book?"

Using this want list system has allowed Jansen to double the number of used books on the bookstore's shelves since he came on board in January.

Jansen also does not believe bookstore sales will suffer from online book listings. His main focus was on increasing the stock of used books.

"The more used books we can get the more competitive we're going to be, always," said Jansen confidently, who has used a system similar to this at other schools with great success over his 14-year career in the college bookstore industry.

In the end though, Jansen stressed that the whole system depends entirely on the faculty to choose their reading lists early.

Despite these possible hurdles, the SGA remains positive.

"I think this has to be a collaborative process," Wonnacott Senator Nichole Wyndham '11 said. "By working with the bookstore and the faculty we can hopefully turn this into a reality, while satisfying everyone's needs."