The University Bookstore opened in the Student Center in 1961. The bookstore currently serves a student population of twenty-five thousand.

The University Bookstore:
An Important Addition to the University

Jillian Childers
Unity Point School District #140, Carbondale

Every university community has a unique retail establishment, the college bookstore. It differs from the average bookstore because it specifically serves the university community. It provides textbooks and specialized supplies.

The University Bookstore (UB), located in the Student Center at Southern Illinois University, is one of several college bookstores in Carbondale. The University Bookstore is the only bookstore that is affiliated with the university; money spent at the bookstore is returned to help with the cost of operating the Student Center and providing special events and services. The UB helps fund Student Programming Council (SPC), which sponsors events like movies and occasional performers. New furniture and televisions for the lounges are some of the items purchased with UB funding.

Student jobs and internships are available at the bookstore. They provide experience in many areas, including accounting, marketing, retail, and commercial graphics. The number of internships at the bookstore varies from year to year. Currently, it has sixty part-time student employees.

The University Bookstore has a long history in Carbondale. William C. Fly was the first owner, and when he started the bookstore it was referred to as "The Fly Store." It was located on Illinois Avenue. Southern Illinois University needed some way to provide textbooks to its students, so the University bought The Fly Store and set up a textbook rental service. Fly was appointed manager, and when he died, the president of the university named Carl Trough as manager. He moved the bookstore to the northeast corner of Parkinson Hall on campus. It opened with a new name, The University Bookstore. The bookstore was in Parkinson from 1953 to 1956. In 1956 the book rental section of the bookstore was

10 ILLINOIS HISTORY/DECEMBER 1996

moved to Morris Library. The rest of the store was moved to the back of the Wheeler building on campus. The bookstore was in Wheeler Hall from 1956 to 1961.

In 1961 the bookstore was moved into the Student Center when it opened. At first the bookstore was located in the northeast corner, where the billiards room is now. In 1971 it was moved to its current location. It was approximately half the size it is today. When textbook rental was discontinued in the mid-1970s, the bookstore enlarged its space to the size it is now because it had to carry more textbooks.

Due to all of its expansions, the UB can now take care of more students with greater ease. Every year it serves about twenty-five thousand students and five thousand staff members. The UB has grown because the university has grown. More students need more books and supplies. Due to rapidly changing technology, more specialized supplies are needed for classes. Computer software is one thing that you would not find at The Fly Store. The UB helps the students by providing services (such as thesis binding) that do not bring in a lot of money, but they are the only bookstore that does those jobs. Unfortunately, once again, the UB is bursting at the seams, but funding is not available for expansion.

The University Bookstore has changed since the days of The Fly Store. It now provides the following: book and thesis binding, laminating, rubber stamp ordering, class-ring sales, technical-pen cleaning, gift wrapping, document plaquing, geological survey maps, cap and gown rental and sales, special order services for books and supplies, and textbook buy-back service. The bookstore carries a large selection of university merchandise, reference books, software, children's books, gift items, and greeting cards.

The University Bookstore has a positive impact on Carbondale. It employs eleven full-time permanent employees. Temporary employees are sometimes hired at busy times of the year. Many community projects are helped by the UB. Every year it provides prizes for area high schools' "after-graduation" parties. It participates in food drives and other charitable events. When some university students were burned out of their apartments, the UB replaced their textbooks and school supplies.

At the University Bookstore, the goal is not one of profit, although it must remain profitable to stay in business. The official university policy is that the UB's mission is to supply support services that complement the academic mission of the university.—[From P. Hayden, "Bookstore to receive new look," Daily Egyptian, Jan. 11, 1970; B. Mitchell, Southern Illinois University; V. Paktor, "New University Bookstore will open Monday," Daily Egyptian, May 10, 1971; SIUC Student Center employee handbook; Student Historian's interview of N. Woolard, Sept. 1996; Student Historian's interview of R. Bender, Sept. 1996; R. Urchel, "Committee to study textbook rental," Daily Egyptian, Nov. 7, 1974.]

ILLINOIS HISTORY / DECEMBER 1996 11