Bookstore adds more space to serve MU needs

ith more space and a new decor, the University Bookstore is planning a complete transformation for fall semester."When you walk in, you'll know that you're at the university bookstore of the University of Missouri," says Jeff Zeilenga, director of University Stores.

Construction is currently underway on a three-story addition to the bookstore. The project will add 16,000 gross square feet and will be completed in fall 1997.

The changes underway will go beyond a new look for the store, says Zeilenga. Bookstore customers can look forward to new services as well as improvements to existing services.

No more cramped aisles and towering textbooks

Adding space in the bookstore will be a major improvement in itself. The bookstore has become increasingly crowded as campus needs have grown for more textbooks and supplies.

"To accommodate needs, we've had to stack textbooks in the aisles and up to the ceilings," says Zeilenga. The bookstore has even sold textbooks from trucks parked next to the building. In the new bookstore addition, textbooks will have their own designated area on the basement level.

Long checkout lines also have been a problem for the bookstore. "We have enough cash registers," says Zeilenga, "We just haven't had anywhere to put them." The new plan calls for checkout areas in two locations: one at the west entrance (facing Brady Commons) and another at the new north entrance. "Students won't have 15-20 minute lines to get through the bookstore at the beginning of the semester," says Zeilenga.

The bookstore will have enough space to offer a few extras — like reading areas and a small "gallery" for displaying student artwork.

Design incorporates customers' ideas

University Stores conducted surveys and looked at customer requests to decide what to include in the new bookstore. Project manager Jude Wawrzyniak says that incorporating many of these ideas into the final design was a challenge for everyone involved.

Several new features cater to the differing needs of faculty, students and staff. Faculty will have a meeting area where they can consult with bookstore staff on course-packs and book orders. A new graduation center also features a storage/drop-off area for academic regalia.

In addition to the textbook area, a nice feature for students is the colonnade on the bookstore's north exterior which offers them a covered area for events in Brady Park.

To meet staff needs, the bookstore will stock more office supplies through a partnership with General Stores.

Project joins old and new

According to Jim Heckemeyer, construction manager, the challenge in the construction phase is joining the existing bookstore, built in 1986, with the new addition while the bookstore stays open.

Zeilenga thinks that all of the work will pay off when customers see the new bookstore. "It will have a very academic atmosphere. I think it will promote pride in the University of Missouri," he says.