Representatives from Follett’s and Barnes & Noble will be on campus next week to present overviews and answer questions about their proposals for partnering with NAU in operation of the bookstore.
The two vendors are finalists among four companies that submitted bids when NAU issued a “request for proposals” in June. The two were selected by a committee that includes faculty, staff and student representation.
Barnes & Noble representatives will be available at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sept. 13 in Cline Library Assembly Hall. Follett’s representatives will make their presentations at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sept. 14, also in Cline Library Assembly Hall.
The university anticipates a change in bookstore operation will result in improved operation for students and faculty, better merchandise selection, closer connections to a national brand and, perhaps, an improved facility. More than half of the nation’s collegiate bookstores are operated by an outside firm—second only to food operations.
The successful vendor is expected to have operations in place by the start of the spring semester