Barnes & Noble College to Operate JCC Bookstore

Barnes & Noble College to Operate JCC Bookstore
Monday, December 14, 2020

Barnes & Noble College, a leading operator of college bookstores in the U.S., has been selected to manage the operation of JCC’s bookstore, located on the Jamestown Campus.

BNC will help drive affordability, accessibility, and achievement for students and faculty, according to Ellen Ditonto, executive director of JCC’s Faculty Student Association, which operates the bookstore and other auxiliary services at the college.

“The changes in collegiate retailing over the last 10 years have made it difficult to retain an independent bookstore at JCC,” said Ditonto. “Our lease agreement with BNC ensures the ability of JCC’s students and faculty to enjoy the buying power of a large company focused on the college market and take advantage of innovative programs that help control costs for textbooks and course materials.”

BNC was selected as a lease partner as the result of an analysis of the bookstore’s operations, which included a functional area review that was completed last fall. The acquisition of MBS, the premier partner that JCC’s FSA had used for wholesale books for over 10 years, by Barnes & Noble College’s parent company helped make the development of a lease agreement possible.

“We are excited to see how BNC can help enhance our student and faculty experience with a more robust textbook integration,” said Kyle Brown, chair of the FSA board of directors. “We hope BNC’s wider reach in the textbook market will allow for improved textbook costs, easier remote learning support, and a solid retail operation.”

JCC’s bookstore will have access to affordable learning materials, including new, used, and digital books, as well as textbook rental and price matching programs. Additionally, the bookstore will provide opportunities for savings through BNC First Day®, its inclusive access program that offers learning materials at reduced prices through a course materials fee for participating programs. Students receive their materials on or before the first day of class, delivered seamlessly through their learning management system.

Faculty will also gain access to BNC’s Adoption & Insights Portal (AIP), which allows faculty to research and submit course material selections and access open educational resources. AIP provides faculty with the ability to view real-time adoption rates and submission progress at the school or departmental level, and communicates directly with faculty from within the portal.

In addition, JCC’s bookstore will also offer clothing, gifts, school supplies, technology, and more. All products, including course materials, are available for browsing in-store and online at https://sunyjcc.bncollege.com.

“We are thrilled to partner with JCC, and look forward to serving its community through a range of innovative academic solutions and a dynamic retail experience,” said Lisa Malat, president of BNC.

BNC currently operates 772 campus bookstores and the school-branded e-commerce sites for each store, serving more than five million college students and faculty nationwide. General information on BNC can be obtained at www.bncollege.com.