“The one book that I needed for English, the bookstore was out of,” said Tammy Lopinto. This is a common complaint among many of Nicholls students as they begin each semester. Most students, like Lopinto, use other sources to buy their books, such as Amazon.com. Because of the price difference, most students do not even look in the bookstore.
Samuel Benoit states that he does not use the bookstore “except to get the ISBN number,” he said.
Angelle Caillouet, bookstore manager, said that the bookstore receives the books marked with their contract prices, which makes them more expensive
“We are a brick and mortar company,” Caillouet said, “and there are other expenses factored in with the prices.” These expenses include the cost of the building and running expenses.
In response to the complaints, the bookstore began renting books to students in fall 2010. However, only 33 percent of their stock is available for rent. The initial wave of students that rented textbooks in the fall dropped drastically in the spring, according to Caillouet’s records.
As for the problem of running out of materials, Caillouet said it is usually because of last minute changes. The bookstore receives lists of required textbooks and the expected number of students who will need them from every professor. However, while the deadline is set with enough time to ensure the books’ arrival, often new class sections will open or professors will change their minds.
Ellen Barker, Languages and Literature Departments, said last minute decisions happen almost every semester.
“It was not decided that I was teaching two other courses until well after the deadline,” Barker said.
Barker said that she has not had any trouble with the bookstore, and as a University policy, tells students to check the bookstore before anywhere else. However, she understands that most students will go elsewhere to purchase their books for cheaper.
Barker said that she believes the students are paying more for the convenience of the bookstore’s location than anything else.
Kalon Johnson, computer information systems junior from Thibodaux, helps Kyle Hebert, freshman from Raceland, find a textbook on Monday at the Bookstore. (Tressa Lafont)
