Meet the Face of the New Barnes & Noble Bookstores at Collin College
Barnes & Noble has landed at Collin College, and LaTonya Pate is the new face of the Barnes & Noble College bookstores at Collin College campuses in Frisco, McKinney and Plano. Read on to learn what’s new at Collin’s bookstores.
Tell us a little about yourself and the new Barnes & Noble College bookstores at Collin College.
I consider myself to be very fortunate to have a career I love and to work for a company that shares my philosophy of customer service and commitment to excellence. I have been employed with Barnes & Noble College Booksellers for 16 years in a variety of positions and am very excited about our new partnership with Collin College. I look forward to meeting our students, faculty and staff in the upcoming weeks and sharing the wonderful benefits of having Barnes & Noble College bookstores on your campuses. Your familiar Collin College store management team is still at each store, and we are adding more friendly faces to assist our community and students. I encourage everyone to stop by the stores to see our new products and visit with the staff.
What special features will Barnes & Noble College offer?
The selection of Barnes & Noble College will allow the bookstores to offer a variety of affordable course materials, including a robust in-store and online rental textbook program, an extensive selection of used, new and digital textbooks, as well as a new price matching program — offering even more savings to students.
What are the perks for students?
It’s not enough to simply offer affordable options. The bookstore is a complete support system for students and faculty — with knowledgeable staff that can offer in-person, one-on-one help and guidance for everything from choosing course material options to helping faculty with their textbook adoptions. The Collin College bookstores will also have physical stores as well as an online website, so students have the choice to shop in-store or online with the added convenience of easy, free in-store pick-up.
The Collin College bookstores will be full-service stores with the sole mission to ensure that the right textbook, for the right class, is on the shelf at the right time. This commitment to service includes stocking every book that is requested for every class, even obscure foreign language books, customized course packs and loose-leaf format textbooks. Online textbook competitors do not provide that type of guarantee or level of commitment and service to campus-specific textbooks — or accept financial aid. In addition, they do not have the same commitment to stocking textbooks for every student who wants one. When online textbook retailers run out of a book, they may re-order, but they may not. The Collin College Bookstore will guarantee that every student has the book he or she needs, even if it means reordering a single copy.
Collin College students will also benefit from the new bookstore mobile app. Available for both Apple and android devices; the app is seen as a key extension to the services provided by the campus bookstore. The mobile app provides a convenient mobile platform where students can check and track all of their orders; receive reminders on rental books and special promotional discounts at any time — even when they’re on the move.
What are the perks for faculty/staff?
The bookstore will ensure that faculty can adopt the best materials for their courses, including personalized course resources and content, assessment tools and more to deliver greater student outcomes. In addition to the indispensable one-on-one, in-store support, faculty will gain access to a groundbreaking online community called FacultyEnlight, a streamlined textbook adoption platform that combines advanced search capabilities with detailed information on course material formats, pricing and reviews by other faculty.
What are the future plans for the bookstore?
Soon students will be able to purchase course materials immediately after registering for their courses with Registration Integration. The one-click leads to a fully populated shopping cart with the most affordable options for each course, ensuring students get the right materials at the right time.
Will purchasing processes change?
Students can purchase their textbooks with cash, credit cards and student financial aid.
Will the bookstores on each campus have the same offerings?
Because each location is unique, the assortment of merchandise may vary depending on campus.
Who is the best person to contact with questions regarding the book store?
The best person to contact for information regarding the book store is LaTonya Pate, store manager, at
972.548.6683 or lpate@bncollege.com .