The many facets of the University Bookstore

Ever wonder what keeps UD running smoothly? Up Close & Personnel, a weekly feature, profiles the employees who keep UD ticking around the clock throughout the year. This week, the focus is on the University Bookstore.

Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson

4:23 p.m., July 20, 2004--The University Bookstore has something for everyone— items featuring everyone’s favorite mascot YoUDee, Blue Hen cuddly toy animals, insignia clothing for all ages, art supplies, prints of University scenes, small furnishings for dorm rooms, office supplies, backpacks, class rings, gift items and greeting cards, clothing, mugs, stadium seats, calendars, football and basketball memorabilia—and, of course, books. There are fiction and nonfiction books, best sellers, UD authors’ books, children’s books, bargain books and most importantly textbooks.

Cosmo Olivieri directs the Bookstore’s staff of approximately 25 full-time and 15 part-time employees. The main Bookstore location is in the Perkins Student Center, with satellites in the Trabant University Center, the Rust Ice Arena, Delaware Stadium during football games and the Bob Carpenter Center during basketball games.

Olivieri came to UD two years ago when Barnes & Noble assumed the operation of the University Bookstore. He has worked for the company at such schools as Northeastern University in Boston and Columbia University, Hunter College and City College of New York in Manhattan.

The Bookstore is much more than books and supplies, Olivieri said. For example, there is a strong connection between the Bookstore and UD’s champion NCAA Division I-AA football team. As the team advanced to the championship, sales of football-related merchandise zoomed as loyal Blue Hens wanted to visibly show their support of their team. During the playoff games, the Bookstore offered discounts, based on the winning score, on merchandise the Monday after each victory, a popular promotion with students, parents and fans.

The Bookstore staff also worked stadium concession stands for the home playoff games. The partnership continues with a prominent, up-front display of books about the team, recordings by the UD Marching Band, special Coca-Cola commemorating the championship and related merchandise.

During DelaWorld orientation this summer, there is a constant flow of customers and a lot of activity as employees prepare for the fall semester.

Among the employees is Patty Tate, who helps with ordering and displaying general merchandise and has been employed at the Bookstore for 24 years. She recalled that when she first came, the Bookstore occupied the basement of the Perkins Student Center with everything from books to art supplies to clothing together.

Norma Little, a record clerk in supplies, has worked for the Bookstore for 14 years. She is assisted by Krystal Wilson, who has been here for a year and a half. They set up displays and arrange merchandise on the lower level in what could be described as the “general store” section of the Bookstore, selling a variety of items, from bed pillows to thesis binders. “I have a hands-on job on the floor, which I enjoy,” Little said.

Cosmo Olivieri, UD Bookstore liaison: “We’re here to serve the University community, UD alumni, parents and the community at large.” Photo by Kevin Quinlan

Among their responsibilities, Little and Wilson handle academic regalia for the thousands of students and faculty at Commencement. “There are inevitably last-minute emergency calls for caps and gowns. Fortunately, we buy in bulk and have a few extra on hand,” Little said.

Kristen Steirer, general merchandise manager, is the liaison between the University and approved vendors and representatives. She has been with Barnes & Noble for nine years, previously working at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro before coming to UD two years ago.

She, too, was part of the football mania this year. “It was an exciting and busy time. We had to have designs and merchandise approved and ready to go when the team went on its way to the championship,” she said.

Stacey Handshoe wears two hats as human resources manager and community relations coordinator at the bookstore. She was a student employee at Barnes & Noble when she attended the University of Maryland at College Park, before coming to UD.

One part of her job is hiring and training student employees in customer service. She is involved with general interest books, as opposed to textbooks, and orders books for book signings by UD authors and guest speakers on campus. She also keeps in touch with a core group of Bookstore customers. She encourages the University community to contact her with information about new University authors and special events.

Gregory Brown, textbook manager, came to UD two years ago, also from the University of Maryland. He said the Bookstore’s title base of textbooks is approximately 3,000. Part of the job is contacting faculty to get needed books in a timely way.

“We work with publishers’ reps to get information on the textbooks and relay that back to the professors. We also see if we can find used textbooks from other schools through Barnes & Noble’s network or large companies before buying new editions,” he said.

“Preordering of books has increased from approximately 3,000 to 4,000 orders with freshman, graduate and distance learning students ordering online before the start of the semester,” Brown said. “We also keep track of enrollment figures to see if more books need to be ordered, as books must be on the floor and available for our customers.”

Student employees Katie Siple (left) and Maggie Sazbrenner with Olivieri
Photo by Kevin Quinlan

Penni Frassico, who has been with the Bookstore 25 years, also works in textbooks. “We start ordering books four times a year—beginning in March for summer sessions, in April for the fall semester, in September for Winter Session and in October for the spring semester,” she said. “One of our goals is to buy as many used textbooks as possible for students to keep their costs down. Record-keeping is different with computers, but the information we need hasn’t changed, such as which courses are added and dropped. It’s never boring.”

Student employees also play an important role at the Bookstore. During the summer, approximately 20 students work at the Bookstore, but the number doubles when the fall semester begins.

Katie Siple, an incoming freshman from north Wilmington, was assigned to run the front cash register. “I like the job, and it is helping me to get a head start on becoming acquainted with the University,” she said.

Downstairs, nursing major Melissa Albanese and Brian Withian, a Shippensburg University student from Newark who works summers at the Bookstore, answer questions and help customers find books in the textbook area.

Maggie Sazbrenner, a junior nursing major, is an experienced worker at the Bookstore. “I’m a jack-of-all- trades—receiving, shelving, filing, working the register, helping out at the stadium and with book signings. People are in and out all the time, and there’s never a dull moment,” she said.

One goal that unites all Bookstore employees is helping customers, according to Olivieri. “We’re here to serve the University community, UD alumni, parents and the community at large,” he said.

To learn more about the Bookstore, visit [www.udel.edu/bookstore].

Article by Sue Moncure

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