UConn Co-op Book Store Could Be Replaced By National Corporation

[Alum86]

where do I trade in my 1982 Labaratory Anatomy of the Fetal Pig textbook? Hardly used, no highlights, part of Bio 107 where I scored a big 4 credit D.
ahhhhhh. good times.

 

[Drew]

 

[Drew]

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Bio 107? Hah, almost a gut ... went to each class, luckily sat next to a ridiculously smart coed way out of my field from day 1 through semester's end, leveraged her great class and book notes, barely cracked the book, matched her A- ... all benefits, academic and otherwise, then ended immediately. Heard she's a heart surgeon ... not I. Winning!

 

[CardiffGiant]

Anyone been to the new bookstore? Opinions as compared to the co-op?

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Stopped by the bookstore today for the first time since the change as I was driving by anyway on my way back from Boston to avoid the mess on the Mass Pike from the accident Friday morning that still is causing a mess. Anyway, there is more space dedicated to UConn wear with Nike and Under Armor have stand-alone sections, unlike before. But, one thing I was look for, a new UConn Soccer hat as my current one looks nasty, they did not have. In fact, I did not see any individual UConn sports hats at all. Found that odd as the CoOp has always had them.

 

[Drew]

State representatives praise affordable textbooks at UConn Bookstore

State Representative Gregg Haddad (D-Mansfield) and Senator Mae Flexer (D- Killingly) discussed the results of their legislation for Open Source Textbooks at a press conference at the UConn Bookstore Tuesday afternoon.

Open Source Textbooks are books that have open copyright licenses and can be accessed online for free by students. They can also include low cost print alternatives, where, in the case of UConn, students can spend $50 on a General Chemistry print book as opposed to the original $303.

“Those 2,000 students who are taking that course this year will save an estimated $500,000 in costs,” Haddad said. “With this information in hand, we need to act very boldly to ensure that we are making the most of the potential cost savings of open source textbooks in the future.”

 

[CL82]

Was at a different university bookstore recently. They were a B&N one, as so many others are. The gear was nicer and more varied than we'd had with the co-op, but definitely not inexpensive. As an alumni, that's an acceptable trade off. Maybe less so as a college kid, though.

 

[Drew]

UConn co-op to donate $250,000 to affordable textbook initiatives

The University of Connecticut’s Co-op is discussing plans to donate $250,000 to affordable textbook initiatives on campus, said president Timothy Dzurilla.

“The Co-op was started with the hopes of being able to supply students with affordable textbooks and the board of directors has decided that this is the best way to continue that mission,” Dzurilla said.

Funding is expected to come from the sale of the Co-op’s assets and inventory as part of the corporate dissolution process, Dzurilla said. The money would be donated to the UConn library system with an earmark for affordable open education resources, including textbooks.

The Co-op’s board felt supporting the development of open source resources was the best way to make a long term impact on the student body after closing its doors last year, said Joe Sweet, former treasurer for the Co-op.

 

[Drew]

If you happen to be in the area today, great deal on UConn apparel:

 

[Waquoit]

Can we now agree the switch is one of the best things that has happened on campus? The Co-Op should have been replaced a decade ago.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

The Co-Op should have been replaced a decade ago.

Only a decade ago? For a few decades, the local yocal Co-Op was a dinosaur .

 

[the Q]

Went In there last week for some last minute Christmas shopping.

B&N did an incredible job there.

 

[upstater]

The switch was getting more $$ from students and giving it to B&N. Yeah, with the extra money, it looks great! The prices on used books increased 400% but that's the game!

 

[Fishy]

The coop was absolute garbage.

Now, it’s not.

 

[the Q]

The switch was getting more $$ from students and giving it to B&N. Yeah, with the extra money, it looks great! The prices on used books increased 400% but that's the game!

I'd take a wager your numbers are a bit off. lol

 

[upstater]

I'd take a wager your numbers are a bit off. lol

Since we can't wager I can only say I've been on committees at 2 separate universities where this was discussed. A $20 new book used to be sold for $2 or 3 used. $10-12 post B&N. Students have gone to Amazon to defray the costs at B&N, but it is a world of difference than how it used to be.

 

[the Q]

Since we can't wager I can only say I've been on committees at 2 separate universities where this was discussed. A $20 new book used to be sold for $2 or 3 used. $10-12 post B&N. Students have gone to Amazon to defray the costs at B&N, but it is a world of difference than how it used to be.

Yeah I was just messing around, and I also thought you meant 400% more than the old co-op price for the same book.

I was gonna say, I saw the data there. The difference between the 2 is quite small.

Amazon is going to be a pain for the textbook industry no matter who has a building in Storrs.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Since we can't wager I can only say I've been on committees at 2 separate universities where this was discussed. A $20 new book used to be sold for $2 or 3 used. $10-12 post B&N. Students have gone to Amazon to defray the costs at B&N, but it is a world of difference than how it used to be.

Yeah I was just messing around, and I also thought you meant 400% more than the old co-op price for the same book.

I was gonna say, I saw the data there. The difference between the 2 is quite small.

Amazon is going to be a pain for the textbook industry no matter who has a building in Storrs.

I can't believe publishers are still printing college text books. It's so much more money for them to cut out the middle man and charge students a fee to get a key to "buy" the electronic book for the semester. Kills the secondary market too since each semester a key costs the same. No printing costs, no distribution, etc.

 

[the Q]

I can't believe publishers are still printing college text books. It's so much more money for them to cut out the middle man and charge students a fee to get a key to "buy" the electronic book for the semester. Kills the secondary market too since each semester a key costs the same. No printing costs, no distribution, etc.

Digital rental model could work. I think it would be more expensive than you think since he margins on the books are just absurdly massive.

But still cheaper than the status quo.

We’ll get there.

 

[huskymedic]