by Melody GustafsonEAST LIVERPOOL – When some students visited the campus bookstore to buy their materials for the “Spring 2009” term, they were dismayed to find empty shelves where their books should have been.
According to Betty Crabtree, manager of KSU bookstores in Salem and East Liverpool, rising freight costs and a record number of students using the internet or other means to purchase their textbooks has reduced the "bottom line." An abnormal number of student schedule changes during what she dubs “drop and add week” is also a factor. Ordering more than enough books than the roster lists prevents shortages due to late register.
Crabtree explained that when fuel skyrocketed, so did shipping costs. The price of diesel fuel has not dropped as gasoline has, and neither has the freight. However, those costs are not factored into the selling price of the books, so the store must sustain the financial blow of shipping the unsold books back to the publisher. For this reason she tries to minimize the cost of returns by only ordering just the right amount that originally signed up for the class, and lumping the orders into larger shipments to get a better “deal” on shipping and handling.
Crabtree said that the store is financially self-sufficient, generating enough for operating costs, but that it barely breaks even every year. “Markups on books aren’t nearly what people think they are,” she said.
“The bookstore is a service for students,” Crabtree said, and mentioned that there are a few KSU regional campuses that don’t offer the convenience of an on-campus supply locale.
“Upper-division courses are harder to estimate [how many are needed],” she said, but assured that she always orders extra for the “intro-courses.”
Both bookstores have regular deals on high-quality clothing, blankets and novels, and are willing to call their sister stores for an alternate size or color not offered at any given location. There is also a link on Flashline for students to order various software programs at a reduced price via mail order.
