Thursday, June 30, 2011
Books Vanderbilt Partners With Barnes & Noble to Bring Bookstore to Former West End Borders Site
Posted by Jack Silverman on Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 11:29 AM
The store will be operated by B&N, and will offer books and materials for a general audience, as well as typical campus bookstore items, textbooks, course materials, apparel, etc.
From the press release:
“A strong and thriving bookstore where a campus community can easily gather for literary and intellectual offerings is critically important to a university,” said Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos. “This new location and partnership give us an even greater opportunity to advance our academic mission for the campus and the larger Nashville community.” ...Several factors came into play in the university’s decision to relocate the existing bookstore. Because it is in the interior of campus, there is no adjacent and little nearby parking, making it difficult for off-campus patrons to reach. The 2525 West End location has access to a 200-space garage and 100 surface spaces. The Rand bookstore has limited hours of operation; the new one will be open evenings and through the weekend. Because the new store will be near Memorial Gym, Vanderbilt Stadium and other athletic venues, it will be more convenient for sports fans to purchase Vanderbilt apparel. ...
“We're honored to have formed this new partnership with Vanderbilt University and look forward to bringing them what’s next in educational content and retailing excellence,” said Max J. Roberts, president, Barnes & Noble College. “Our commitment to driving innovation, delivering advanced technology, understanding what students need and supporting the needs of higher education will help us to transform the Vanderbilt bookstore into a robust and vital part of the university and the surrounding greater West End community.”
Comments (2)
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I, too, was excited to hear this -- and then I called the VU Bookstore to find out the move schedule, only to find out that the knowledgeable staff who have been working with Vanderbilt students and customers all these years would *not* be taking that knowledge and experience with them to the new location. They are toast. Why? Because the current VU Bookstore is run by Folletts. And the relocated bookstore will be B&N. Also, please note that a (the?) major point in favor of the new location is its proximity to athletic venues, making it "more convenient for sports fans to purchase Vanderbilt APPAREL." So, like other big-box "book" stores, this won't really be about reading so much as merchandising. I had been worried that VU's move might make Ann Patchett re-think the need for a new bookstore in Nashville. I think she's safe to forge ahead.
like
dislikeI was at the New Barnes and Nobel right after they open and saw many old faces from the Vanderbilt book store.
