Bookstore to undergo changes due to falling sales

De+Anza+Bookstore

Abhiram Rishi Prattipati

De Anza Bookstore

Dylan Newman, Staff Reporter

Academic Senate President Karen Chow announced the De Anza College bookstore faced a net loss of $230,000 with an overall $800,000 down in sales at the Academic Senate meeting on Nov. 18.

Chow said one issue causing the loss is that with an influx in courses being available online, students do not come to the bookstore to purchase physical textbooks. Instead, students purchase subscription and rental books for their classes taken online, in order to save extra cash.

Some professors implement the use of Open Educational Resources in their classes, further reducing the need for textbooks.

Another issue that the bookstore has dealt with during the year is that 73% of their staff has changed positions since February.

“It has been very challenging, nevertheless we muster forward. We are now in a better position staff wise,” said Patrick Gannon, director of dining services and interim director of the bookstore.

De Anza is home to one of the last standing independent bookstores at higher educational facilities, Chow said.

To help keep the bookstore afloat, Chow said all printing services will come to the bookstore.

In addition, Gannon said the bookstore will concentrate on offering inexpensive computers for those who need to spend their college promise money.