Current store hours 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday
					Bearcats in all shapes and sizes are available in the store.
	Freshman Drew O’Brian of Yardley, Pa., stretches out to read on the overstuffed chairs in the new bookstore.
		A lifesize replica of Legolas, the sword-fighting son of an elf king from The Lord of the Rings, looks over the shoulder of senior Leah Lundberg as she browses the bestsellers section of the bookstore.

By Sandy Paniccia

T here are Godiva chocolates, a leather chair and ottoman emblazoned with a Bearcat, coffee cups and snacks, but
most of all there are books — lots and lots of books — in the new University Bookstore.

The 10,000-square-foot two-story store, which officially opened for business this summer in the University Union addition, carries some 2,800 textbook titles and up to 600 general interest books, adding up to more than 12,000 volumes.

The new store designed and operated by Barnes & Noble is a significant change from the old bookstore in the basement of the Library Tower. With its green carpeting, black accents, dark cherry bookshelves and overstuffed upholstered seating, the new facility offers a comfortable area to browse, to shop and to read.

“This new area will provide an enormous enhancement in convenience for BU students,” according to Rick Watson, bookstore manager. “The old bookstore served its purpose for many years, but it was hard to find, outdated and needed to be and renovated.”

The bright, airy project, which has been in the works since 1999, has many new features.

The store provides special sections devoted to faculty authors, campus best sellers (based on campuses across the country) and a “new and noteworthy” section, which includes selections of local interest. The store also displays an extensive stock of BU Bearcat-related clothing and specialty items.

“We’ve added higher-end gifts,” Watson said, “such as Godiva chocolates, a leather chair and ottoman and golf bags with embroidered Bearcat logos. We’re moving into nicer, classier items.”

Another change is the addition of a buy-back refund window to eliminate the need for people to come into the store for refunds.

Because of its new location, many questions regarding store hours and second-floor access remain unanswered. Currently store hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday.

“Store hours may be adjusted in the future to accommodate traffic flow,” Watson said. “We just aren’t sure what’s going to happen yet.” The upper level entrance will be open during “book rush” at the end of August, but depending on traffic flow from the upstairs, that doorway may or may not remain open in September.

The move to the new location was almost transparent, since the entire event happened over one weekend during the summer. But, as easy as it looked, the move was not without its headaches.

“We were scheduled to move on June 28 so we could be open July 1 to be ready for Orientation,” Watson said. “Our moving company backed out on us on June 24.”

Watson said Barnes & Noble employees moved the entire store by hand trucks over the weekend. “But it all worked out,” Watson said.

Just steps from the University Union food court, a bank and ATM machines, bookstore personnel hope the new location will increase traffic. “Hopefully we’ll see an increase in sales,” Watson said, “and an increase in sales also helps fund the University as a whole.”

According to Watson, along with the money brought into the University from charges in rent and utilities, Barnes & Noble contributes $10,000 a year to BU’s scholarship fund, $6,000 to the Athletic Department, $5,000 to underwrite a play at the Anderson Center and makes other donations to the campus and local community throughout the year.

“We’re excited about this beautiful, new store and we’re confident we will have a positive impact in this new location as part of University Union,” Watson said.