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A new development in the online system for ordering textbooks by the University Bookstore at the Russell House is helping to save time, money, and paper.
"We're pleased with the system," said bookstore general manager Andrew Shaffer. "We've had good feedback from the academic departments and faculty."
Eighty percent of the bookstore's business is in the sale of textbooks. In the past, one of the biggest steps in the store's textbook cycle was the ordering by faculty members of the books they wanted for the upcoming semester's courses.
That entailed sending out thousands of pages of book ordering information to the departments, asking faculty to indicate whether they wanted to order the same books or make changes, and then having them return the paper form to the store.
Three years ago with the help of University Technology Services, the store developed its online ordering system to help speed the process. But because there was no data online that showed what textbooks had been ordered in the past, the store was still obliged to print that history on paper and deliver it to each department.
Then, at the encouragement of the School of the Environment this past fall, the store began to send the course textbook histories and all manual book order forms digitally to the departments in PDF files to realize a significant savings in paper costs.
Faculty are asked to email their orders or use the store's digital book ordering system on its Web site rather than returning paper forms. Reminders of orders not received also are sent by the bookstore via email, as are weekly email listings of all courses still missing a book order.
The store also is testing a proposed Web site that will provide a history of book purchases for courses so the store won't have to distribute the list via PDF files. Faculty members will be able to complete all of their textbook orders by logging onto the site, which the bookstore hopes to activate next fall.
Shaffer believes the new site will result in a total annual savings for the University of $8,000 to $10,000.
The book ordering system in place now accounts for about 40 percent of the book orders received, but Shaffer notes that it is steadily growing "and the trend is going in the right direction." He estimates it is already saving some 40,000 sheets of paper annually.
"The major advantages are the savings of time and paper, and how the early order of books by faculty can help us control textbook costs for students," Shaffer said, noting that when a book order is for the same book that has been used previously, students can get 50 percent back for that book.
"If we don't have a book order we can only buy the book back for the wholesale price that is determined nationally, usually between 10 and 30 percent of the original cost," he said.
"The book ordering process for faculty is easier now, it's a more proactive way for us to keep in contact with them, and also to get them the information they need to make this an easier process that is less time-consuming."
11/06
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University Bookstore general manager Andy Shaffer, right, and textbook manager Stephen Conrad have helped make using the store's book ordering system easier.
