At U., no lock on the textbook biz

Many professors still prefer the independent, smaller book stores. When the University announced the construction of a new superstore run by one of the biggest names in the book business, the campus' independent booksellers feared they would lose sales to the larger rival. The manager of the Barnes & Noble-run University Bookstore, however, insists that his store is the underdog with many Penn professors, particularly those in the humanities. Students trekking to Sansom Common over the next few days will not be able to find many of their books at the University Bookstore because some professors refuse to do business with the store. Traditionally, dozens of faculty members exclusively patronize either A House of Our Own or The Penn Book Center, the latter of which has struggled to secure a new lease after the University announced the demolition of the University Plaza building which houses the store. And this year, concerns about the future of the two independent bookstores galvanized support among long-standing faculty customers. The management of the megastore insist they are fighting a losing battle, though. "[Not having all the booklists] places me in an awkward position, particularly to incoming freshmen, when I have to explain to them why certain materials are not here," said Dwayne Carter, manager of the new Penn bookstore. Carter touted the store's better services for Penn students, namely the ability to pay for any purchased item with the PennCard, as evidence that students and faculty members would benefit if the Barnes & Noble store served as the exclusive site for University course-book sales -- currently the bread and butter of the independent bookstores' business. At the same time, Penn administrators have said they expect the new bookstore will actually benefit the independent bookstores, rather than luring away their business. Many professors support the two stores because they like the idea of having independent bookstores around the community. "I think we need to encourage independent bookstores in this neighborhood," English Professor Toni Bowers said. "It's about creating an intellectual environment for the student." For other professors, the choice to support either of the two independents has often been a question of service. "When I first came to Penn, I tried the bookstore and found that it was taking weeks to get everything done," said Religious Studies Professor Stephen Dunning, who has used the Book Center for over a decade. "[The Penn Book Center] really provides a wonderful service. If there is ever a problem they call right back." While Carter admits the old bookstore -- owned and operated by the University before 1996 -- could have offered better service, he is confident Barnes & Noble has changed all of that. "Our mission is merely to service the faculty, staff and students at the University of Pennsylvania," Carter said. "If there are things that are missing that the faculty would like to see, all they need to do is contact me." But owners of the two independent stores said they doubt Barnes & Noble can match the personal service they offer. "The reality is that Barnes & Noble has mostly new staff. They can't develop relationships like we have," said Deborah Sanford, owner of House of Our Own on the 3900 block of Spruce Street. "Smaller stores often have more flexibility and relationships. There are not as many layers of authority to negotiate with." (The Penn bookstore is operated by Barnes & Noble College Bookstores Inc., a privately held company owned by the chief executive of Barnes & Noble Inc., the chain of mainstream bookstores.) Faculty commitment to maintaining a scholarly environment around campus has reassured Sanford and Achilles Nickles, owners of the Penn Book Center, that their stores will continue to serve Penn students. "Academics say that there is a lack of depth at Barnes & Noble, so we feel that we will hold on to those people," Sanford said. And Carter insists that while he would like to compete on all faculty booklists, the University Bookstore will not instigate competitive practices, such as predatory pricing, against the Penn Book Center or a House of Our Own. "We have not attempted to market ourselves in a fashion that would be competitive," Carter said. "Our company does not look for and identify successful bookstores with the intention of putting them out of business." Instead, Carter said, the Bookstore will continue to improve service and hope some professors come around. "Whether the Penn Book Center or A House of Our Own remains a part of the fabric of our institution is up to the consumer," he said.