The Top College Bookstore in Carbondale is 710 Bookstore
Each of the stores has its own appeal, but the best college bookstore in Carbondale is the locally-owned one, 710. The store ahs an extensive selections of things other than just textbooks that students might need in the course of the year, including more art supplies than the average hobby store, a complete line of office products, and, of course, licensed SIU apparel. The owners of 710 weren’t particularly creative when choosing the store’s name. The name comes directly from the address, 710 South Illinois Avenue. Illinois Avenue and University Avenue are the two names for the north and south sections of U.S. Highway 51 which run through the center of Carbondale and directly in front of Southern Illinois University.
You’d think, because Follet’s rents space in the Student Center and is therefore directly affiliated with the university that it would have the best relationship with the faculty, but that just isn’t the case.
710 Bookstore has been part of the Carbondale community for years and many of the faculty have become accustomed to dealing with their staff. That means if the three bookstores don’t agree on the materials needed for a class, the one most likely to get it right is 710.
This fall, the Saluki Bookstore and University Bookstore did not even have the compact disk I needed for one of my classes. Staff at the University Bookstore said their shipment was simply late and they would have them soon. I needed it the next day. The Saluki Bookstore placed the blame on the professor, saying that they had ordered the book for the class, not the CD for on-line access to the class notes.
710 got it right. They did not order the book because it is not necessary if you have the CD and they did order the CD. They were the only place in Carbondale to get it before the second class meeting, which was when the professor wanted us to have it.
Although some of 710’s employees are students, many are professionals who have been with the company for years. That means they know the things that are going to be problems each year and anticipate them. The Saluki Bookstore and University Bookstore employ a great many students with no experience and no clue how to make the book-buying process go smoothly.
For example, 710 had its entire staff working overtime the first week of the semester. It always had at least three registers open and had extended store hours for the first week of class. When they ran out of a book I needed and I had to buy it at the University Bookstore, the store had one inexperienced clerk checking people out (this was the third day of classes). I had to wait in line for 45 minutes to buy one book, that I would rather have bought elsewhere.
And, the Saluki Bookstore is even worse. Signs posted in the store advertised that the last day to return unused textbooks was the second Wednesday of the semester. For once a week classes, that sometimes meant that had met once. If a student added the class late (We all know students never do that.) and purchased books before getting the syllabus, they could have been stuck with books they didn’t need. Personally, I wait until I see the syllabus before buying books to avoid that very problem, but freshmen especially are encouraged to order and buy their books before classes even start. If they did so, the Saluki’s return policy could have been a nightmare.
In addition to exhibiting sound business strategies and an understanding of student life, 710 also truly supports the university at everything from sporting events to educational fund-raisers on campus. They are a major sponsor of the alumni association and have a huge employee presence at SIU football tailgates. They sponsor events for men’s and women’s basketball and are open seven days a week unlike the University Bookstore on campus.
710 Bookstore may be a little farther off campus than the University Bookstore, but the prices are better and so is the service. 710 is the top college bookstore in Carbondale.
