Students and faculty at El Camino College are facing shipping delays and unexpected costs, or are having to change how they teach classes after the ECC Bookstore stopped selling textbooks in person.
During the July 28 session, the Board of Trustees approved the transfer of textbook operations to MBS Direct, following the retirement of all three original bookstore staff members.
“The committee decided to go with MBS Direct to move the textbook operations online because we thought that it would offer more opportunities or more options for students and faculty,” Crystle Martin, dean of Library and Learning Resources, said.
MBS Direct is an affiliate of Barnes & Noble, which allows students to purchase textbooks online and download digital copies.
While the Bookstore continues to sell snacks, school supplies and merchandise, shelves, which once carried textbooks, are bare.
Students are now dealing with shipping delays and unexpected costs with the move to MBS Direct.
Gabriel Preston, a 20-year-old civil engineering major, ordered the textbook needed for his AutoCAD class during the first week of the semester. He didn’t receive it until the fifth week of the semester.
“I thought there would be a physical copy at the Bookstore,” Preston said. “When I went there, I found out it was empty. The book was $50, but with the UPS shipping fee alone, it was about $97.”
Morgan Mastiga, a customer service representative with MBS Direct, said that the delays are caused by a rush of orders.
“Whenever we get into the fall season, and we are a big company with many clients from K-12 schools, colleges and other institutions, things get behind in responding to emails,” Mastiga said. “The company hires extra help to keep up with the influx of orders.”
Faculty members, such as history professor Hong Herrera Thomas, are reporting that their students, unable to purchase their books through the Bookstore, are resorting to other methods to get the materials they need.
“All my students have complained about being unable to order their books through the Bookstore,” Herrera Thomas said. “They either obtained the books from an alternative vendor or have not purchased the materials. It is the end of week five and it has been a nightmare.”
Herrera Thomas went on to point out how moving textbook purchases online creates an equity issue in the classroom. Students who rely on Extended Opportunity Programs and Services book vouchers are unable to redeem them and they can’t enter the payment information to complete their purchases.
“The inability to obtain materials needed for class directly relates to success in the classroom,” she said. “This is a huge equity issue, particularly for students in programs that provide book vouchers. These students cannot go to an alternative site and purchase textbooks.”
While some professors are struggling, others have adjusted by eliminating textbook requirements.
“I do not require a book in my course,” Vince Phamdo, a computer aided design professor, said. “One reason is that in my class, we learn and work together, and I provide my own paperwork for them. The other reason is the cost.”
Martin said she plans to alert her team to inform students ahead of time for midterms and winter session, so they can order books earlier.
While waiting for their materials, many students rely on each other, professors and free online resources to keep up.
Martin added that the Schauerman Library offers various services to meet students’ needs, including reserving textbooks for two-hour rentals.
“Mary McMillan, our digital resources librarian, and other librarians work with the faculty to adopt [Open Educational Resources],” she said.
Martin noted there are plans to explore long-term improvements, but El Camino College will continue with MBS as the college’s textbook partnership.
“As the semester continues, I think part of it is getting used to not having the textbooks on campus,” Martin said.
News editor Erica Lee contributed to this story.
