For years, going to the Student Center bookstore between classes and expecting to leave with the book you wanted was almost impossible. Now, students no longer have to worry about the strict bag drop policy, which was changed last week to better serve students in a hurry.
“It’s become increasingly obvious that it’s created another line during busy periods,” Bill Dill, general manager, said. “That is, in our opinion, a disservice to wait in two lines.”
Many students agreed that the new policy was more convenient, but raised questions about whether or not it was good for the security of the store.
The decision to make bag drops optional was an easy one to make, Dill said. Very few stores under the Barnes & Noble College Bookstores name still maintain bag check policies.
Dill cited long lines at the end of classes at the bag check counter followed by a long line at the register and another long line at the bag check.
“As a company, we have very few stores left that do bag drop,” Dill said, “and we’ve always done it at Temple, and the lines get really excessive during peak periods.”
The bookstore will maintain a small book check area in the store. It is optional, and some students still take advantage of it, Dill said. The large counter outside of the store has closed permanently.
Despite the rule change, students continue to drop bags outside the store. Dill said he has only heard of one instance of a bag being taken from the front of the store, and it was returned.
“I find it peculiar how Temple is putting up all of these properties and they can’t secure the welfare and security of the current students,” Orlando Edwards, a film and media major, said. “And I’m sure if I feel this way, there are at least dozens more that share the same input.”
Customers said they wonder if convenience is worth the risk of having items stolen.
“It’s a good idea,” Katrina Santiago, a freshman, said. “Maybe they could have thought of a more efficient way to drop off the bags, but not having a drop-off at all is not going to help the theft situation.”
Dill said the staff of the bookstore is confident that the security systems in the store will help to deter theft. No new security measures were installed to help during the switch, Dill said.
“We can still protect our assets and will be able to manage the store successfully in deterring internal theft,” Dill said. “We have security systems in place, so we’re not overly concerned.”
In the policy’s first two weeks, business has been smooth, Dill said. Overall, staff at the bookstore are pleased with how the policy has affected business.
“I’m very happy with the way the customer traffic moves through the store, in what I consider a smoother fashion,” Dill said. “It’s a more customer-friendly environment.”
Chris Reber can be reached at chris.reber@temple.edu.
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