Bookstore Contract

Gerald Schaffer, Vice President

Administrative Affairs is pleased to announce that after considerable review of proposals from excellent vendors, the Follett Higher Education Group has been selected to manage all University of Florida Bookstores beginning July 1, 2000. A screening committee of students, faculty and staff were instrumental in helping to select a vendor best suited to the needs of our campus, and we believe Follett will provide a level of service that will meet our high expectations. Follett currently serves more than 4,000,000 students and over 300,000 faculty throughout the United States and Canada. Follett is considered a leader in serving educational institutions of high prestige, including many with medical schools. They currently operate bookstores at Stanford University, the University of Notre Dame, Vanderbilt University, Georgetown University and the University of Nebraska, among others.

The University of Florida Bookstore was established in 1906 and throughout its long history, has been operated by the University. During its existence, our bookstore has been professionally managed and provided excellent service to faculty and students. However, because of increased competition, rapidly changing technologies and the volatile nature of the textbook market, it was important for the University to consider methods in which we could reduce our capital investment and risk in operating such an enterprise. Follett’s sole business is managing collegiate bookstores. As the largest collegiate bookstore operator in North America, Follett can provide expertise in such areas as sales, marketing and inventory selection. Additionally, Follett can utilize their significant resources to compete effectively with the E-commerce sites and national chains that are so prevalent in the bookstore market. Also, as a result of this partnership, a new world-class bookstore will be constructed on campus to provide greater retail space, a larger selection of reference and trade titles, on-demand printing and course pack customization services, as well as other amenities.

Please feel free to contact Jim Morgan, Director of Business Services, if you have any questions or require additional information regarding this change. We believe you will find working with the Follett Higher Education Group to be a positive experience and an opportunity to enhance and improve upon your relationships with the on-campus college bookstore.