![[News]](/~d49er/Icon/news.gif){kind=icon}
Kiana Draghi appeared to be overwhelmed as she stood in the middle of the University Bookstore looking around.
"It's pretty large, she said. "I haven't really been in a bookstore this size with all these college books. I have [to get] University 100, Critical Thinking and a French book."
The Bookstore sells books and supplies and provides many services: check cashing, fax service, film and photo processing, money orders, resume services, thesis binding, typesetting, computer repairs and photo copying.
A computer store is within the Bookstore. Academic discounts are offered on software sold. One can realize up to a 40 percent discount.
"As far as books and supplies there is really nothing new in that area. We would just like to reiterate that last year was the first year we launched our new programs for changing our policies on our textbooks, where we have the guarantee buy-back in effect," said Roman Gulon, acting general manager, Forty-Niner Shops Inc.
"It should be more effective this year because it has more publicity. We've taken about 150 titles and guaranteed buying those books back during our buy-back during finals, at 50 percent of what the customer paid for it," he said.
"Then of course we also launched our used textbook price guarantee [program]," Gulon said. "If you find a lower price we will give you 110 percent of the difference back on used textbooks. We're just becoming more customer friendly as far as I am concerned.
All reserves from the Bookstore are returned back to the university for effective use.
"Twenty-six percent is our average markup, so 74 percent goes to the publisher right off the bat. I know that by the time we wind up covering the cost of the textbook, we are happy if we have a penny and a half, and if we have two pennies, we are extremely happy (out of a dollar) for the sale of textbook as our reserve," Gulon said in regard to the prices of books.
"The philosophy of this bookstore for a long time, is to keep the cost of what the student has to buy - needs to buy - those are textbooks and supplies, to get through their university learning experience," Gulon said.
"We try to keep those costs as low as possible just to cover our own costs and come out with a slight reserve. Then with the student who'd like to buy a sweatshirt or tee shirt or anything of that nature, that's where we carry the markup that most retailers do. Clothing and gifts are the only items that carry those markups - a 50 percent markup," Gulon said.
In January, a new identification card will be on campus. The new card will offer the same services as the present card, Gulon said.
"We have had quite a few complaints in the past of why students couldn't add money into their card without coming into the bookstore," Gulon said.
The present identification system requires that one put money into their account from a single place, the Bookstore. The new system will have dispensing machines strategically placed around campus, so one can put money in from more than one location.
"The Forth-Niner Shops Inc. will be administering the identification card function for this campus," Gulon said.