Bookstore expands its table of contents

Follet providing $4 milion to cover construction of new 28,000 square-foot building

Students soon will see the first stages of construction for JMU's new bookstore in the Godwin Hall parking lot area.
Follet Higher Education Group is providing $4 million to build the two-story facility, according to Towana Moore, assistant vice president for Business Services.

Nielson Construction, the company contracted to build the bookstore, is mobilizing to break ground in one month to six weeks, Moore said. Construction is projected to be finished in about a year, with the tentative completion date in January 2003.

Follet is footing the bill for the bookstore by providing $4 million to cover construction. When the university signed on with Follet in May 1999, part of its contract included Follet funding a new, bigger bookstore for JMU, Moore said. "The university may have to pay for some of the furnishings — things on the inside — but the $4 million [from Follet] will cover construction costs," she said.

The new bookstore will be located in the area which is now Godwin parking lot. According to construction plans, space will be provided to allow buses to continue running to the Godwin stop. "The traffic around Godwin bus stop has been addressed with [Harrisonburg] City Transit," Moore said, "but we are continuing to work on how the traffic will flow." The lot constructed where the tennis courts used to be will compensate for the parking displaced by the new bookstore.

With about 28,000 square feet of floor space, the two-story bookstore will be over double the size of the current bookstore, said John Rheault, university bookstore director. "The size of [the current] bookstore really limits the cross section of merchandise that our company would offer a school of this size," said Rheault. The new bookstore will have higher ceilings, and the added space allows the layout to be more open. This will make the new bookstore spacious and easier to shop, especially during Homecoming and Parents Weekend when the bookstore is typically swamped with customers, he said.
The first floor will house a wide selection of school supplies, JMU merchandise and an expanded general books section. "The biggest new department without a doubt is the general books," Rheault said. He said the broader selection "hopefully will appeal more to the university."

Textbooks will fill the second floor, eliminating the need for book sales and buy-backs in PC Ballroom. "It's a real strain for us to set up the Ballroom and as much a strain on [students] to shop it," said Rheault.

Having all the text books in one place year-round will not only be more convenient, but it will facilitate Follet's ability to respond quickly to out-of-stock issues, Rheault said. The second floor also includes reading spaces and Internet stations, he said.

Follet will continue to hold book buy-backs at many locations across campus, including Zane Showker and the College Center and at Ashby Crossing as a convenience to students, Rheault said.

Moore said, "I think [the new bookstore] is going to be better because students can get their stuff all in one place. Right now, it's kind of piecemeal." Moore said they also have included the Student Government Association in discussions to get student persepective.

Rheault said Follet will not raise its prices to offset the cost of the bookstore. Instead, it will rely on the increased sales and new customers the bigger bookstore will hopefully attract.

The area vacated by the current bookstore has not been reassigned, Moore said. However, a commitee currently is working on what will be done with the space.

Some students do not see a need for a new bookstore. "I don't think a new bookstore is necessary," junior Jane Lissenden said. "I've never had a problem with crowding at the on-campus store, and for books I always go to the University Outpost."

Junior Jesson Zafar said, "Not only does our present bookstore meet the needs of students here, but it's also located in an extremely convenient spot."
Others view the addition of a new facility as a positive change. "I think a lot of the things they are building on campus are a good idea," sophomore Spencer Daniel said. "It will bring more money to the university so they can hopefully spend it on students."