ABOUT THE BOOKSTORE
In August 1999, the University of Florida Smathers Library Bookstore opened its door and began selling the unselected and duplicate gift books, magazines, records, and maps once sold in the library's annual book sale. The Acquisitions and Licensing Department Gifts program has the responsibility of managing the bookstore.
Student assistants staff the bookstore for the bulk of the hours of operation, but Gifts personnel supervise the restocking, pricing, and choice of store and displays. Originally, the store was open each week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. After repeated requests from customers to expand hours, the days and hours were changed, and the store is now open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The bookstore materials are divided into seventeen subject categories, arranged alphabetically from Art & Architecture to Science & Math. Based on sales, the subjects most popular are Literature, History & Political Science, and Art & Architecture. Books that go unsold for longer than a semester are periodically pulled from the shelves and either given to the Friends of the Alachua County Public Library for their semi-annual book sales, or discarded. Two tables in the middle of the room hold “New Arrivals”, and this is where new stock is located. As new stock is introduced onto the “New Arrival” tables, the older material is shelved by subject on the regular shelves. This procedure allows stock to rotate and provides shelf space for the incoming books and materials.
Most of the store's customers are University of Florida students, faculty, and staff, although a number of people from the Gainesville and surrounding communities visit the store regularly.
Bookstore staff make every effort to highlight specialty items to all bookstore customers by means of a display window and display case. Staff also bargain with book dealers and collectors on these items, which usually are sold at higher prices than other materials. Among the finer quality items are first edition books, limited printings or special editions, university press publications, architecture and art books, used textbooks and scientific press titles from publishers such as Elsevier, and popular, oversize ‘coffee table' type books.
Sales figures from the store show its success and popularity with customers. From August 1999 through June 2007, the store grossed $70,314.89, or approximately $9,000 per fiscal year. For the current Fiscal Year (2007-2008), through October 31st, the bookstore has totaled $4,098.27.
Below are the year-to-year gross earnings:
Fiscal Year 1999-2000 |
$8,750.95 |
Fiscal Year 2000-2001 |
$5,742.91 |
Fiscal Year 2001-2002 |
$5,329.81 |
Fiscal Year 2002-2003 |
$10,309.63 |
Fiscal Year 2003-2004 |
$12,813.97 |
Fiscal Year 2004-2005 |
$10,205.68 |
Fiscal Year 2005-2006 |
$10,953.16 |
Fiscal Year 2006-2007 |
$6,208.78 |
Fiscal Year 2007-2008 |
$4,098.27 |
Total |
$74,413.16 |
Several times a year, the bookstore offers special sales; these sales are held at the beginning of each semester, during the holiday seasons, and when available stock dictates a special sale (e.g. History Book Sale = all history books are 2 for 1).
Visit the bookstore and look for signs announcing sales, or visit the bookstore Web page for more information on upcoming sales and promotions.
