Reading is still an integral part of college life, but that hasn’t helped college bookstores as textbook materials evolve and online competition skyrockets.

Now, with a recently signed agreement with University Book Store, Shoreline Community College has found a way to accommodate the buying habits of students and maintain an on-campus bookstore.

“I’m very excited about our collaborative agreement with the University Book Store,” said Mary Kelemen, Executive Director of Auxiliary and Logistical Support Services at Shoreline. “We will continue to have a bookstore presence on campus that provides the unique and specific items our students need while also gaining the expertise and service of a great company like University Book Store.”

The trend toward online textbook sales, escalating prices and evolving methods of course material delivery is certainly impacting Shoreline’s bookstore, Kelemen said.

“For a number of years, we’ve seen textbook sales drop as prices increase and students went to online sources,” she said. In response, the bookstore began stocking a number of other items such as snack foods and expanded offerings of general, gift and logo merchandise.

Kelemen said the shift in buying habits continues to all colleges whether two- or four-year, public or private.  The Seattle College District, Edmonds Community College and Everett Community College are leasing the operation of their bookstores to Barnes & Noble.

University Book Store started in 1900 as a student-run business at the University of Washington and is now a corporate trust governed by an eleven-member board of trustees consisting of UW students, faculty and staff.  Other educational institutions utilizing University Book Store services include all five of the UW campuses, Cascadia College, Digipen Institute of Technology, Cornish College of the Arts and City University as well as 13 private high schools in the Seattle area.

Shoreline’s arrangement with University Book Store will give Shoreline students access to:

• Online price textbook comparison and ordering tool
• Online ordering
• University Book Store kiosks in the Shoreline bookstore
• Multiple delivery options, including on-campus or at University Book Store locations
• Multiple format options
• Increased inventory
• Year-round textbook buyback
• On-campus buyback each quarter

“Shoreline will have its own branded presence at University Book Store, both online and in the retail store located in Seattle’s U District,” Kelemen said. “A student could go online, order a book by the daily deadline and pick up the book on-campus at Shoreline’s bookstore the next day. Or, they could have it delivered to their home or any U-Book Store location.”

The agreement won’t impact the number of employees at the Shoreline bookstore. “We will still stock custom printed materials ordered by faculty, plus all the specific supplies that are required for classes and programs,” Kelemen said.

While the agreement is in place now, there is a great deal of preparation and behind the scenes work required to make the transition as smooth as possible.  Kelemen said she expects students to begin ordering textbooks through University Book Store for Winter Quarter 2016.