By: Demaya Sawyer, Staff Writer

Valdosta State University’s campus bookstore is getting a new look and a new name after the university’s contract with Barnes & Noble ended.

The store will reopen as VSU’s “Spirit Shop,” focusing on merchandise and a self-checkout market instead of selling textbooks in person.

Alandria Steele, the current Barnes & Noble store manager, said she is “unsure why the contract ended.” Since she is employed by Barnes & Noble, she will no longer work at VSU’s bookstore.

The “Spirit Shop” will not carry textbooks after the transition.

“eCampus will provide course materials online, meaning students will have to order their books and have them shipped to them,” said student assistant Sanii West, who currently works at the VSU bookstore.

According to the company’s website, eCampus is “The Number 1 Textbook Rental Program” that is widely used by a plethora of universities, such as Duke University and Miami University.

For some VSU students, the change feels inconvenient.

“The new system takes away some of the personal touch of having a bookstore on campus,” said Ragan Zimmerman. She also said she worries students will have to wait for books to arrive.

Jovan Palavra, a VSU student and member of the basketball team, agreed that ordering books online could be a hassle, although he believes the new changes could attract more students to the store through updated merchandise.

Covery Hill, a student assistant in the Career Opportunities office, is “concerned about students needing books quickly for class deadlines and the possibility of workers losing their jobs.” He said he also believes that since it will take longer to receive books now, it could affect him getting his first assignments completed on time.

“I’m excited to see how the bookstore progresses,” said Mary Kate Evans, a communications major.

She also questioned why physical books are being removed in the first place.