Oregon State University - Beaver Yearbook (Corvallis, OR)

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MICHAEL DOWLESS Inspecting his book stock and updating his inven-tory list is Howard Mills, owner of Avocet Used Books on 614 SW 3rd street. Scott Lindsay, senior In Mechanical Engineering, browses through the engineering section of the Book Bin for a bargain. From The Beans of Egypt, Maine by Carolyn Chute to Victory by Joseph Conrad, students looked for classics and texts at Avocet Bookstore. MICHAEL DOWIJ5S One of the many alternatives to the OSU Bookstore is the downtown bookstore, The Book Bin, located on 351 NW Jackson Avenue. MICHAEL DOWLESS MICHAEL DOWLESS 28 • BOOK BUY

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MICHAK1. OOWIJvSS The English Language Institute provided space and a comfortable atmosphere for those unfamiliar with America’s native tongue and those who just wanted ' somewhere new to go. makk v coma MICHAEL DOWLESS While not doing research on Chemical Engineering. Gosia Pacut of Poland finds time to converse with Tina Rosier, junior in Construction Engineering Management. Munehiro Mutsuno of Achi-city, Japan uses the E.L.I. Language Lab, located in the basement of Kidder Hall to become familiar with the English Language. ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTITUTE • 27

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PU RC CONVENIENCE PRICE AND AVAILABILTY AFFECT WHERE STUDENTS BUY T THE BEGIN-ning of each term, thousands of students crowded into the Bookstore to purchase a stack of textbooks. “I bought my books at the Bookstore because of its convenience. said freshman Cindy Graham. This was the case with many students. Anyone who has purchased books from the Bookstore during the first week of classes knew that a majority of the people felt that struggling through pressing crowds and overworked employees, trying to write a check next to five other elbows and having that check inspected by an often less than friendly clerk was more “convenient than traveling to the downtown area. Two months before each term, the OSU Bookstore received notices from each department about the texts the professors would be using and the number of students estimated to be taking the class. “We get excellent cooperation from the departments,” said Bruce Lulow, OSU Bookstore general manager. Trouble arose when a teacher received an unexpected amount of students in a class and could not accommodate them all with the required text. About 75 percent of the Bookstore sales were in the first week of classes, so if a book sold out the bookstore would photo copy the first few chapters for a student until the book arrived. “We’ll work out anything we can to help you, remarked Lulow. If a student purchased a book and found out later it was not necessary to keep for a class, he or she could return the book for a full refund within a certain amount of time. During finals week the Bookstore set up tables in the MU Ballroom to buy books back. According to Lulow, about 70 percent of their used books were purchased from students and used book sales were increasing annually. The Bookstore carried about 40 percent used books and 60 percent new. Students tried to purchase books that had been used but were still in readable condition because of the reduced cost. The Bookstore would not sell anything that could not function as a classroom text. “We are here for the students’ benefit, commented Lulow. “The profits are returned to you. In September students could pay fifty cents for a B x kstore membership, then in June if t hey had turned in all of their yellow receipts, they received a check for approximately eight percent of t heir amount spent. According to Lulow, if students purchased used books, a Bookstore membership and then sold their books back at the end of the term, “the amount of money spent on books for the year could be less than that spent on beer, candy and pop.” Many people counted on that Bookstore check to nudge their bank accounts into a safe zone before beginning-of-the-year-fee blues set in. “We’re doing our job.” noted Lulow. “We’re taking care of the students, charging prices in the industry and doing everything we can do.” Bookstore members also received termly notices in their mailboxes inviting them to attend the Bookstore meetings. Yet the Bookstore wasn't the only place bombarded by students at the beginning of the term. Used bookstores also seemed to be flooded by students. Though not quite as crowded as the Bookstore, downtown booksellers saw quite a bit of business as students poured in to check the inventory. “We serve between five hundred and a thousand students | er quarter. said Bob Baird, manager of the Book Bin. The Book Bin began carrying textbooks because students started coming in and asking for them. “We’ve been expanding every quarter. said Baird. “We try’ to carry books from every department but we have books for mostly lower level classes, because older students don’t sell as many books back. At the end of each term the Book Bin set up tables at the Donut Shop to buy back books and also talked to professors about the books they were using. The Book Bin would also special order books, and according to Baird, could get them in stock within three to five days. Basically what we’re operating on are better prices and better service. stated Baird. “I buy my books at either the Book Bin or the Bookstore, depending on what their cost is and who has the books I need. said Don DeMello, senior in Speech Pathology. Although Avocet Used Books didn't pursue textbooks, many students still came in to purchase literature books. According to Howard Mills, manager, some professors even referred students to them. “We sell a lot of classics for literature classes, said Mills. “We try to handle large paperbacks or good hardl acks. The store took books on trade or purchased them for cash. We get good student traffic. Generally, textbooks, just drift in, explained Mills. “Students bring them in just to sell them back. Convenience, price and availability all proved to be concerns for students choosing where to buy their books. The Bookstore had pract ically held a monopoly on the book selling business in past years but recently the competition had started wising up. “I didn’t know about the other two, said Graham, “but I probably would have bought my books at the Bookstore anyway because of its convenience. This was a tune that was changing for more and more people at the beginning of every term. □ by Kami Smith BOOK BUY • 29