In a recent column by Mariana Fabian, she discussed the controversial textbook prices, which are widely considered a burden among students as they are perceived as being significantly overpriced when compared to other retailers.
However, the idea that Wolfpack Outfitters (also known as the bookstore) charges significantly more than other retail outlets is a misconception. In fact, they actually save students money in the long run.
Staff Columnist Skye Sarac spoke with several employees from Campus Enterprises, including Jeff Halliburton, senior director of retail services, Jennifer Gilmore, director of marketing and communications, and Christopher Walsh, the assistant director for course materials.
“We agree that textbooks are too expensive, and we’re trying to do what we can to lower the cost of it,” Walsh said. “We’re working actively on that problem.”
Supply and demand also plays a part in the cost of textbooks.
“Books are a commodity, and the price goes up and down based on supply and demand, so depending on what books you’re able to get your hands on at what price, dictates what you have to turn around and sell them for,” Gilmore said.
While many students perceive the bookstore as being overly priced, and prefer to use third-party sites such as Amazon and Chegg, Halliburton emphasized that sales from the Bookstore have surged in recent years, and currently, about 40-45% of students get their textbooks from the bookstore.
“One thing that Wolfpack Outfitters has that most other schools don’t is what’s called a price comparison tool, which displays their price side by side with Amazon and Chegg and all the other vendors,” Halliburton said. “Due to some software changes that was unavailable this semester. Traditionally we’ve been able to lower physical book prices, through selling used books when we can procure those, and also we have a textbook rental program.”
Another aspect of the bookstore, which many students are unaware of, and which Halliburton calls “the best-kept secret” on campus, is that the bookstore actually gives back to students through a scholarship fund, as required by the Umstead Act, which was originally passed in 1939.
This act specifically regulates businesses that operate from within government institutions, and as a private business located at NC State, the bookstore is required to abide by this law, meaning it is banned from “leasing space in a state owned or operated building for purposes of selling goods or rendering services in competition with private business.”
However, there are exceptions when it comes to university activities. Exception number three states “a third exception allows state universities to operate campus stores where profits are used for student scholarships.”
“Historically, we’ve been providing hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship contributions every year,” Halliburton said. “Lately that’s been whether we’ve been making any money or not, that’s another way that every purchase in the store is helping to give back to the university. It’s estimated that this year, that scholarship contribution will be around a hundred and eighty thousand dollars.”
Additionally, students who choose to buy books from the bookstore are actually helping to reduce overall student fees. In fact, the bookstore has, on average, reduced the student fees load by about $30 per year.
“Every year, both the stores and NC State dining, we each contribute 450,000 dollars to the debt service every year,” Halliburton said.
Although the bookstore is not only the largest provider of course materials, it also contributes daily to making sure students have the ability to easily access much-needed school supplies and technology. It is also a popular spot for purchasing NC State clothing; many students are unaware of just how much the bookstore does to help the overall student population- and as result they get very little attention.
“Some of that is because we’re humble — we don’t use that as the headline — I think our more important headline is what are we doing to save students money first and foremost?” Halliburton said.
