By Clyde Noel

Faced with no longer being able to subsidize their bookstores, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees last week discussed contracting out for bookstore services. Such an action would likely result in increased costs for the students.

“We are exploring contracting out the bookstore for a short time because of construction purposes,” said Mike Brandy, vice chancellor of business services. “This is an option we will consider by January,” he said at the district board meeting, Oct. 4.

The De Anza bookstore showed a net loss of more than $400,000 last year because it subsidizes the operation of the Campus Center, which includes the cafe.

Brandy said the Internet is giving the bookstores problems because there are more than 20 online stores that sell textbooks at less cost. De Anza College has another problem with an off-campus bookstore across the street that cherry-picks items for students.

Numerous people in the audience offered negative opinions on contracting bookstore service.

“I am a strong supporter of our own college bookstore, but there is no harm in gaining information from contracting,” said district trustee Sandy Hay. “We might learn something that can help us.”

Both stores face different but significant decisions relating to the new construction and relocation of the stores as part of the Measure E facilities renovations. At De Anza, the bookstore is slated to move into the Student and Community Services Building next year. The bookstore has agreed to pay $1 million toward that construction for its share of the new space.

The De Anza bookstore has also agreed to pay about $150,000 in capital expense for furniture and equipment. Those obligations, in light of declining sales and the use of reserves to cover losses, present additional pressure on the fund balance.

At Foothill, the bookstore is located in temporary space for the next two years while the new Campus Center is constructed. Unlike the De Anza bookstore, the Foothill store is not obligated to cover food costs, so it can return to profitability sooner.

“The bookstores have too many obligations to be profitable, and there is a need to reorganize,” Brandy said. “Without obligations they could become profitable.”

Javier Rueda, president of SEIU 715, which represents the campus bookstore employees, said if the colleges don’t provide a service for the students, the students will go elsewhere. With 27,000 students, the district should have leverage with publishing companies, Rueda said.

“The bookstore, as we know it today, is not part of the future,” said trustee Hal Plotkin. “The way we are going, we will still have an operation that sells dead trees. We should evaluate outside contracting because we can learn something constructive.”