Bookstore

Online bookstore services should be organized in a purchase-friendly environment.  Try to make your institution’s online offerings as similar as possible to those of your institution’s on-campus bookstore(s).  Available items should not be limited to texts; other supplies should also be available, including clothing, stickers, and items with school insignia.  Making it possible to purchase such things from a distance gives your institution’s distance learners an opportunity to feel that they are part of the institution. 

Some institutions choose to contract with a vendor to provide bookstore services, while others provide bookstore services themselves; this section includes examples of both approaches.

Good Practice Recommendations 

• Show merchandise.  Create an online environment in which students can browse through textbooks, services, and merchandise. (University of Oregon)

• State any relevant policies.  Summarize bookstore policies that may affect a student’s purchasing decisions. (Portland Community College)

• Offer an online method to look up course textbooks and materials.  This is helpful even if your institution does not accommodate online ordering, because it enables students to plan orders they will make via other methods such as telephone or fax. It also allows students to look up costs and determine their budget for books.  (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

• Identify and describe each method available for ordering textbooks.  Inform students of the different ordering options available to them.  Include instructions for each method. (University of Minnesota, Crookston)

• At a minimum, provide an order form to assist in placing orders via fax or phone.  This form should be in a print-friendly format so that students can fax orders or follow it as they order by phone, even if online ordering is not available to them.  (Central Oregon Community College)

• Accommodate online textbook orders.  Provide students with instructions for filling out the order form.  The form should be in a print-friendly format so students can follow them as they complete the application. California State University, Chico

• Deliver purchases to an off-campus address.  Students should be able to choose a remote location where they can receive materials.  This convenience is important regardless of the method used to order.  (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

Features to Consider

• Accommodate online payments.  Enabling students to pay online is also a useful sevice.  (Winona State University)

• Accept online reservations. (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)  This allows students to place orders for books that are out of stock or have not arrived. 

• Provide order tracking. (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)  This allows students to see when their orders have been shipped.