| Lebanon Valley College Partners with Barnes and Noble in Operating College Store |
05.29.12 |
|
Lebanon Valley College has entered into a five-year agreement with Barnes & Noble College to operate its College Store. The partnership will begin July 1, 2012. This spring, LVC’s College Store was moved from the lower level of the Mund College Center to a more attractive and prominent location on the first floor as part of $13+million renovation of the student center.
“We are excited by this new partnership,” said Dr. Stephen MacDonald, LVC president. “We believe that Barnes & Noble College will serve the future needs of the LVC community by providing additional resources, expanded services to students and faculty, and a competitive financial return.”
The selection of Barnes & Noble College occurred after a team of campus administrators, faculty, and students reviewed proposals submitted at the request of the College from third-party vendors with significant experience in the management of college stores. Barnes & Noble College was selected after a careful review of pricing and service policies, potential financial returns to LVC, ability to create an innovative and dynamic retail environment, comparative technology plans, and references from similar stores.
“We’re delighted to have the opportunity to partner with Lebanon Valley College,” said Max J. Roberts, president, Barnes & Noble College. “As one of the nation’s most trusted retail brands, Barnes & Noble is excited to give Lebanon Valley students a College Store with the greatest selection of content in both physical and digital formats, as well as an unmatched retail experience.”
The College Store will sell textbooks, course materials, emblematic clothing, supplies, gifts, and sundries. In addition, a number of new and innovative services focused on delivering cost savings and convenience will be introduced to students. Under the terms of the contract, Lebanon Valley College students will have access to:
• In-store and online textbook rentals—Students will have the option of securing rentals online or in the College Store. Students opting for textbook rentals will save more than 50 percent over the cost of a new printed book and can pay for rental fees by using cash, checks, credit, or student financial aid.
• Rapidly expanding selection of eTextbooks—In addition to offering savings of up to 60 percent compared with new printed books, Barnes & Noble’s revolutionary and free Nook Study™ application provides eTextbooks in an engaging format that enhances the overall learning experience.
• Registration Integration—A user-friendly Registration Integration system allows students to reserve and order textbooks immediately after they register for courses online, automatically populating carts with the right books for the right class.
Later this summer, the LVC College Store will release a newly designed website at www.lvc.edu/CollegeStore. The site will include a locally managed Facebook page, continued promotions offered through FourSquare, and a new student focused blog, TheCollegeJuice.com. Additionally, students will have access to the latest innovation in online shopping, known as social commerce, which allows students to shop for books, clothing, or school merchandise directly from the College Store Facebook page.
|
|
|