By Jadyn Buccilli
Staff Writer
Ever since Campus Town was first established 11 years ago, Barnes & Noble has been a staple to our campus community, and many students, including myself, have the core memory of excitedly walking into the store to buy their first “swag gear.”
However, as of the Fall 2026 semester, this iconic retail location has been moved out of Campus Town and into the first floor of the R. Barbara Gittenstein Library, just across from the Library Cafe.
Overall, this new bookstore location is still a decent addition to the school, and I am sure that a ton of hard work has been put into it. However, the change of location has caused some problems that make me believe that this move should not have happened.
Firstly, the library already had a lack of places for a student to study in as it is. Even before the bookstore made their big move into the library, students constantly struggled to find study rooms that were not already occupied.
By eliminating an entire floor’s worth of study rooms and overall library space, there is no doubt that more students will be frustrated at the lack of study space as part of the adjustment.
The library is a place where students are meant to learn, and I feel that taking away study space in exchange for a merchandise store does not foster the idea of learning in a library.
I am aware that a new study area is being worked on in the section in between Lib Cafe and the bookstore, but as of right now it is still under construction and will be significantly smaller since half of that space is taken up by the store.
Additionally, this bookstore is considerably smaller in this library space than it was in its Campus Town Location.
Since Barnes & Noble’s Campus Town location was being built at the same time as the rest of the town’s buildings, it was able to have more freedom in the store’s size.
Granted, this location had its own cafe and Starbucks, which is not required in the new location since the Library Cafe already has a Starbucks, but even then, the bookstore was not as limited size wise.
Since the library’s dimensions have already been set, the bookstore has only a certain fixed amount of space that could be used, and while it still has plenty of room, it is undeniably not as large as the Campus Town location.
One of the admirable things about the College’s bookstore is the number of things that could be bought in one retail space alone. As a freshman, going to campus town and being able to buy such a variety of items while walking a short distance was so relieving, especially since I had no transportation.
While there is still an abundance of things that can be bought, it is mainly merch and textbooks that are found behind the desks in the back of the store. The most noticeable thing is the lack of books for entertainment purposes in the new location.
Students and other customers are still able to buy stuffed animals and board games, but the thing that made our bookstore an actual bookstore is practically gone.
I understand this is likely a copyright issue now that the store is on campus, but it is a shame that we are making recreational books less accessible to students when reading things that you actually enjoy in your free time is a really good habit to pick up.
I would like to emphasize that I do not think that having a new bookstore is entirely a bad thing. It is more convenient for campus residents to walk their heavy books to their dorm at a shorter distance, and having a bookstore in a frequently used student space helps attract more customers into checking out some of the College’s spirit items.
However, as a student who has both experienced the old location and is currently experiencing the new one, I will miss the lively atmosphere of the Campus Town bookstore. My biggest hope in all of this is that the retail space where the bookstore was will be filled with a place that is just as beneficial to the entire campus community.
