Student Union Bookstore moving

With the renovation of the Student Union in motion, things are about to change — but some change has its proverbial ups and downs.

The much-anticipated remodeling of the Student Union is scheduled to begin sometime in May, at which time the Student Union Bookstore as well as other shops in the Student Union, like food services, will move to an 18,000-square-foot trailer that will be located to the north, between the remaining section of the Classroom Building parking lot and the Civil Engineering Laboratory. The bookstore will take up about 11,000 square feet of the trailer.

Lance Hinkle, director of the Student Union Bookstore, said because the renovations concentrate mainly on the first and second floors of the Union, it was decided that moving the offices and shops to the trailer together would prove more cost-effective than moving each office in phases.

Shops and offices on the first and second floors of the Union will stay and operate in the trailer for 14 months or until August 2011.

“Just imagine, the entire first floor of the Student Union will be empty for 14 months,” Hinkle said.

However, operations in the bookstore will not change much for students and employees of the bookstore.

Department Director of Student Union Textbooks Starla Clawson said students have no reason to worry about any changes during dead week when they try to do book buybacks. The only thing they are still unsure of is whether they will be located in the same trailer as the Student Union Bookstore or if they will have access to the warehouse that they normally use during dead week for book buybacks.

But whether they move or not, Clawson said it will not change anything.

The renovations will pose some confusion for not only bookstore employees, but also other university staff. Ivan Ibarra, an employee for University Mailing Services said unless there is a loading dock built outside of the trailer, bookstore deliveries will become difficult.

“I think eventually it (renovation) is a good idea because the backroom of the bookstore seems a little outdated,” Ibarra said. “But it’ll really affect people in the meantime.”

Despite the slight inconvenience these changes will bring to students and employees, OSU and the Student Union officers have done everything they can to make the transition as smooth as possible for their students.

“We’re going to do our best to accommodate that and work around it as best we can,” Hinkle said. “It is going to be different.”

Even with the estimated level of inconveniences, eventually, the new and improved bookstore will prove to be worth the wait for students.