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Since June 1, the national chain Barnes and Noble has handled the management of UTM’s campus bookstore.

Samantha "Sam" Covington is the new manager of the UTM campus bookstore. Originally from Dresden, "Sam" (as she prefers to be called) Covington is a 1999 UTM graduate and alumni with a degree in Business Management. She is married and still resides in Dresden.

Covington is not the usual manager type. She is easy to relate to and already has a reputation as being "young and bubbly." In addition, Covington returns to UTM with impressive credentials. She served as Branch Manager for Manpower for two and a half years. She managed five offices, and was in charge of approximately 360 employees. Now, employed by Barnes and Noble, Covington brings her management skills to UTM, and plans a friendly open-door policy.

"I plan to bend over backward for the students," stated Covington in a candid interview. "Our staff is wonderful and we are like family."

Several companies bid on the management of the UTM bookstore, and Barnes and Noble was selected. Speaking for the company, Covington said, "We want to provide the best possible product available for the students at competitive prices." Covington further explains, "Barnes and Noble will set prices on the books at the bookstore with UTM acquiring a percentage of the profits."

UTM will continue to recycle used books in their buy-back policy in a continued effort to benefit the students financially.
Assistant Manager Louise Gardner is still employed by UTM and offers her 21 years of experience to assist in the transition to Barnes and Noble.

"Book prices increase every year," says Gardner.

Teresa Vancleave, bookkeeper for the UTM bookstore for 14 years and teacher for PACT courses for the past two years states, “Changes take time, but we are adapting.”

The bookstore still operates with the help of students and volunteers on a regular work schedule. Barnes and Noble employs work-study students who attend their regular classes and work regular hours at the bookstore. Part-time personnel are also Barnes and Noble employees. Student employees, (about 50 in number), have contributed a great deal to the success of the transition and rush week at UTM. After the rush, management will be laying off some of these employees; according to management sources, the students are aware of this downsizing.

UTM students express concern over the cost of increased tuition as well as the rising costs of books. Many plan not to buy books. They plan to share with other students, or incorporate other resources such as the Bradley Bookstore and the Internet to seek competitive pricing. Today's students have the ability to seek out and utilize resources.

Any questions or comments can be addressed and are welcomed by the Barnes and Noble campus bookstore manager, “Sam” Covington.