Brad Light, originally from Morgantown, West Virginia, is General Manager of the Barnes and Noble College Division in the Greensboro area. In the above photo, he is at the bookstore on UNCG's campus, where he has worked for 28 years. Yesterday, we had a chance to ask Brad about bookselling in the digital era. Brad explained that, over the course of his career, the majority of requests are for materials have gone from being physical copies of books to digital materials. To address this shift, Barnes & Noble has initiated a program called "First Day Complete."
As stated on their marketing materials, "UNCG First Day® Complete is a course materials delivery program (rental) that lowers the cost of course materials and ensures undergraduate students have their required course materials on the first day of class." Students pay $19 per course hour to receive all of the textbooks and digital materials needed for their courses. The program has been extremely successful, with the majority of students using this option. According to Brad, the program is a great one, but it is actually more labor intensive than stacking books on shelves.
It is always a pleasure to talk to Brad. He works hard to meet the needs of the UNCG students, faculty, and staff-- and does it with a smile.
Happy Wednesday!
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