The NAU Bookstore is going all out to buy back textbooks and save students money.
The bookstore will run an aggressive buyback campaign May 7 to May 11 and is working closely with faculty to make early arrangements for fall textbooks.
“We want to have as many used books as possible to bring down the cost for students,” said Tomi Hulkko, assistant bookstore director. “We’ve made significant progress over last year.”
Bookstore director Ken Pegram added, “The response from faculty to our expanded textbook adoption collection efforts has been great. Having the textbook adoptions allows us to know what books are being used in the upcoming semesters, and thus buy more books, pay more for those books, and have a greater inventory of used books for incoming students.
“We hope the positive response will continue as the students definitely reap the benefits.”
The buyback campaign includes locations at the bookstore and at du Bois Center. This year will be the first time NAU tries a drive-through location near Lumberjack Stadium on north campus.
At the drive-through, students in line will be greeted by runners, who will pick up textbooks and scan them to look up the buyback value. Once all the books have been scanned, a receipt will be printed that will be returned to the customer.
They simply drive up to one of two registers and cash their receipt. Students may also take their receipt to the bookstore to cash out or put on a gift card with an extra 10 percent added to the value amount.
“Used textbooks continually save our students money, and this is just one more way that the NAU Bookstore is looking to provide these used books to students,” Hulkko said. “We’re also working with faculty to see if we can come right to the classroom to buy books.”
Textbook adoptions for the fall are at about 50 percent, compared to 9 percent at the same time last year. “This would forecast us paying three to four times more money back to the students than last year. Plus it will serve to increase our used book inventory for incoming students,” Hulkko said.