When senior psychology major, David Kouril, sought out his textbooks on the second day of classes, he was met with several empty shelves as he browsed the aisles of the Valdosta State bookstore in the Student Union.

 Other students encountered the same problem as they searched for their required texts during the first week of the 2011 spring semester. 

  “There were two books in particular that I would have really liked to have had early on that I was not able to find on campus,” Kouril said. “I just ended up ordering them online and actually saved some money by doing so.”

 Many students left the bookstore annoyed.

 Due to technical mishaps by the bookstore and inclement weather, a lot of the shelves still remain empty as a week of classes have come and gone.

 “We have implemented a new point of sales system in our computer systems this semester,” Robert Kellner, Director of Auxiliary Services at VSU, said.

 Because of the installation of the new system, the ordering and receiving of the books was hindered, resulting in the missing books.

 The new computer system was not the only thing responsible though.

 “The weather has also hindered our shipments,” Kellner said.  “Some of the trucks were unable to make the trip to VSU due to icy conditions along I-75, thus holding everything back further.” 

 The bookstore will continue to use the newly adopted computer system for semesters to come, but the complications are expected to fully dissolve after this spring.

 “There will always be minor problems and missing books regardless,” Kellner said.  “I am, however, very proud of our bookstore staff for the job they have done to quickly assess and correct this semester’s problems.”

 Many of the books that cannot be found on campus can be found at other locations. 

Students are encouraged to try Lee’s Bookstore, Lee’s Too, or even The Boardwalk if the campus store does not have what they need. The internet offers further options with sites like Amazon.com for purchasing as well as sites that offer book rentals like Chegg.com.

 The remainder of the missing books are expected to arrive at the VSU bookstore within the second week of school.