Bookstore Adds New Kiosks to Assist Students

This year the bookstore added the A-Z Kiosks to help students find their textbooks quicker.

The kiosks help students by printing a list of all the course textbooks. This allows students to find their own books on the text floor, now organized alphabetically.

Before the kiosks were introduced in the fall, the shelves were more difficult to navigate. Taking up more space, they were categorized by course and department, information students often did not know.

Follett, the company that owns the bookstore, had piloted the kiosks at other stores and was successful, according to the bookstore manager Stephanie Bunt. Bunt then decided to sign the bookstore up for the kiosks and is satisfied with the results.

The new kiosks have increased sales within the bookstore dramatically compared to last year.

“I really like it. And students really like it. I think it’s a win-win” said Bunt.

To use the kiosks students simply need to enter their ID number. It will then display a printable list of all the textbooks they will need for the semester.

The new layout also gives the bookstore more space to sell school merchandise and gives a more definite line between Vanguard merchandise and the textbooks.

Overall, Vanguard students welcome the Kiosks as a new addition to the bookstore.

“I went in to look for a few books … and I was like what? [Because] I wanted to be like to get my own book myself. So I kinda didn’t like that part but I get what they’re trying to do. It makes sense,” said junior Summer Conner.

In the past, students would need their own course schedule to find their books, either brought in on their phones or printed out. Once they knew their classes, they would often need an associate to help them find their books. Now, students are able to navigate and help themselves.

“I feel [the Kiosks are] a good idea and a good resource for the students to be able to have,” said freshman Aaron Byr.

Byr claims that he sees it as a benefit for students to have something that can efficiently list out all their needed materials so that they can quickly find them.

Senior Emily Eggleston explains how in her first year at Vanguard, before the kiosks, she had to go to the the library website and enter in each of her classes to find out what books she would need.

“I think it’s really cool now that they have a kiosk where you can just type in your [ID] because everyone knows their [ID] and you can just see all the books you need in one place. I think that’s a really awesome idea,” said  Eggleston.

With the success of the kiosks they will most likely remain and help future Vanguard students.