University Chronicle

Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: News

Media Credit: Heather Dumas After, the new Barnes and Noble university bookstore facilities are now open for business in the University Center. The new store will have expanded inventory and services.

The Barnes and Noble campus bookstore opened its new location Wednesday, Jan. 27, after months of preparation, and is now located on the first floor of the University Center.

"The new location is more convenient for students and local residents of Portsmouth," said Melissa Rucker, book store manager. "The store is larger, carrying more clothes, more books and more supplies for our customers."

With a larger store, including more shelves, larger aisles and more employees to offer assistance, the store has not only taken on a new location, it's been given a completely new look.

"The biggest change in the store is the addition of a trade section," Rucker said. "We will carry the latest New York Times Best Sellers. However we are equipped to order anything that can be found at any Barnes and Noble. We will have it in within a couple of days, and there is no extra cost for ordering or shipping because it comes straight to the store."

Student bookstore employees Katie Paltrow and Josh Nolen said that their favorite thing about the new store is the shelves and the aisles.

"There are more selves so books will no longer be thrown and stacked everywhere, and the aisles are larger so we won't be walking all over each other anymore," Paltrow said.

Another change costumers can look for is the addition of a separate reference section, a smaller desk located across the store from the cash registers.

"Having a specific reference location is great because customers no longer have to wait in line at the register to ask a question, they can now go directly to the reference desk," Rucker said. "Special orders can be made at this desk as well as at the register. All customers are encouraged to take advantage of our special order program."

Alone with the opening of the new location, students and the community can look forward new features and events.

"Students and the community can enjoy upcoming events sponsored boy Barnes and Noble, such as book signings," Rucker said. "Another big thing our customers can look forward to are Bargain Books. These are coffee table books that are fun and affordable."

Bookstore hours will remain the same; although the store will not be open on the weekends, it will be open every day the university is open.

"Prices will not be changing. We will be carrying more clothes, books and supplies and we will continue taking financial aid the first two weeks of school." Rucker said.

After the first two weeks of school, students and faculty must ask an employee to obtain a text book. As in the former location, aisles containing text books will be blocked off for security purposes.

"All in all we're really excited about the changes that have been made and look forward to more in the future." Rucker said.

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