Wednesday, august 22, 1979
Bookstores getting ready
daily nebraskan
77
necnc we
By Kathy Stokebrand
What docs every college student need
each year upon returning to school beside a
place to sleep and a new pair of jeans?
Books.
But students buying books aren't the
only ones hassled by book-buying the first
few weeks of school. Larry Behrends, Unl
versity Bookstore manager, said he and his
staff must handle three summer-school
rushes while compiling their fall orders
ms approaching
Bookstore expansion
The University Bookstore has
initiated a plan for expansion on City
Campus.
Frank Kuhn, assistant director of
operations at the Nebraska Union,
said the bookstore came before the
Union Board wishing to enlarge the
store by about 300 sq. ft., extending
into most of the vending machine
area on the north side of the Union
basement.
This will be mostly to increase the
bookstore visibility. It will let more
students know where it is and what it
has to offer, Kuhn said,
Union Board President John
Kreuscher said expansion should
make the area more appealing and
useful. A space in the union will be
developed at no cost, because the
bookstore will pay for the remodel,
ing.
University Bookstore manager
Larry Behrends estimated the cost of
the project to be $7,500. Work is to
begin in mid -September with rough
construction ending in 34 weeks.
Remodeling could be finished around
the end of November.
There will be. a glass front with a
wood bottom to match the wall in
front of the game room. Although
some were eliminated, most of the
vending machines, three tables and
some chairs will remain in the base
ment.
even before the fall semester rush begins.
Leona Mookj a 14-year bookstore
employee, said the first two weeks of the
semester are "really rushed." She called the
second week of classes the "Grand Return
Week because students dropping and
changing classes return books then.
Gene Meerkatz, who manages Vending
operations on campus, said he helps during
the bookstore's hectic weeks. "It's busy,
he said. "It's a big job. You can't imagine
what it takes to get ready for a semester."
The bookstore employs about 20 part
and full-time employees. That number
triples to 60 during the 6-8 week fall rush.
Employees often work from 7 ajn. to 10
p.m. during the busiest two weeks.
Ordering books for the fall semester
begins in April, Behrends said. The book
store sends textbook information forms to
all departments which are returned to the
UNL Office of Textbook information. A
copy is given to the Nebraska Bookstore.
The University Bookstore and Nebraska
Bookstore determine independently the
number of books they will order . Principle
text sources are publishers, book whole
salers, students, and other bookstores. The
.nearest book wholesaler is in Chicago.
Aside from ordering books, additional
cash registers must be set up. The stores
layouts need to be changed from one
semester, to another because titles of
departments change. Behrends said the
worst problem was getting things where
they belong.
Subject material of a book determines
whether it stays on East Campus or goes to
city campus. Another chore is hiring and
training the extra help. However, Behrends
said, "We feel that we are probably better
prepared at the beginning of this fall
semester than we ever have been."
The most effective method for cutting
cost on ordering books at the bookstore is
to turn in orders by the due date, accord
ing to Behrends. That way as many books
as possible can be purchased from students
and wholesalers to save money. The profit
margin is 20 percent on a new book and 33
percent on a used book.
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