Students question the removal of rentals for this fall semester.
By Carl Petersen

Staff Writer

If you were wondering why the bookstore abruptly removed book rentals from its shelves, you’re not the only one. Many students were surprised to see this sudden and unprecedented change.

The bookstore has been known to have problems in the past, including the loss of key staff, and a seven month period without an official manager. The latter has only recently been resolved with the hiring of Jason Thomas.

Thomas has been employed since July, and has since been trying his hardest to not fall behind. Unfortunately, being relatively new to the bookstore, he was unfamiliar with the bookstore’s rental program, and was unable to renew the program.

“Unfortunately, based on the timing of my hiring and the staff familiar with the rental program no longer being here, we were unable to assemble the rental program for this Fall,” Thomas said.

It wasn’t until a week before the semester started that the staff realized the situation on their hands. According to Thomas, no one was familiar with the rental process, as all employees who understood the process had left the previous semester. Thomas has expressed that this is not going to be a permanent change.

The Campus Eye reported on bookstore issues at the beginning of Spring 2016 semester as well.