Buying Local: A Look at the St Johns College Bookstore

I'm the kind of person who likes to learn about what happens "below the surface." It's fun and fulfilling to figure out how things work. As a recent transfer from Santa Fe, one of the first things I did on campus was check out the bookstore—like any good Johnnie would. Looking around at the manuals and books, I became aware of the differences between this bookstore and the one in Santa Fe. I noticed the teeny size, the complete lack of windows, the plethora of Moleskins. I also noticed how much more college memorabilia there is at this campus. While I was wandering the aisles I began to wonder about this bookstore and who makes it what it is.

A kind-faced friendly gentleman with a gentle Scottish brogue asked if he could help me with anything, (he must of noticed the glassy look in my eyes). I told him I was a transfer and he introduced himself as Robin Dunn—General Manager of the Annapolis bookstore. We got to talking about the differences in the two bookstores and he joked that he was jealous of the natural light and square footage of the one in Santa Fe, but he said he wouldn't really have his bookstore any other way. When I told him how much I loved seeing all the St. John's merchandise, he said, "Not everyone likes it as much as you do." "What do you mean?" I queried. I was surprised to learn that some people, including some tutors, thought that the bookstore was being run in a way that is not in line with the mission of the college. I was intrigued by this tension in my new community and since I like to figure out how things work I went back to the bookstore often to talk with Robin.

Robin first described his job to me as that of "just a humble tradesman." He tells the best stories! If you ever get a chance you should ask him about his childhood in Ghana, his life in Edinburgh, his adventures in the wild and crazy world of international publishing and bookselling, or his passion for aviation. Better yet, go and talk to him about his current passion: trying to improve the bookstore. He has done very well. I found out that in the nine years since Robin joined the staff they have never made a loss and revenue has increased 4-fold. But that doesn't mean much to those who are concerned that the way bookstore is being run is not in line with the mission of the school. In fact, they are concerned that it is being run too much like a for-profit business, that it is too commercial.

In order to address this concern, I asked what happens to the profits that are made at the bookstore. It turns out the bookstore is not a for-profit business at all. As part of the college, the bookstore is a non-profit organization. That means that any money the bookstore makes, after covering costs, goes into the general fund of the college, which mostly goes to financial aid. So the more that Robin runs the bookstore like a for-profit, and the more money he makes, the more students will be able to afford to attend St. John's and be involved in what we do. So everything sold in the bookstore, from a Penguin to a platypus, goes to helping the greater college community. It goes towards helping us actualize our mission. How could that be bad?

But people are still concerned that the way the bookstore is being run is too commercial. For instance, when the Bookstore started expanding the selection of non-program books there was some resistance. The bookstore saw their primary duty to be making available the program texts, but they were also in the business of offering people what they want. After learning that all profit goes towards enriching the college community, I had trouble seeing why a larger selection would not be embraced by everyone. For one, it brings more people into the bookstore, especially people from outside our college community. That is what conversation and our college is all about: bringing people together to talk and learn from one another through books.

In my conversations with Robin I learned that over the past ten years of employment he has seen some controversy as he tries to bring patrons into the store. Robin told me that after 9/11 there were a lot of requests for more books on Islam and the Middle East. The bookstore set up a section catering to those tastes, but again there was resistance. A few members of the community were concerned that the bookstore was pandering to pop culture and public opinions. But Robin said that: "It is not my job to be controversial… it is my job to give people what they want." He wants the community to shop at St Johns, as opposed to the myriad of other options, so he honors their interests.

The biggest non-book draws to the Bookstore are, of course, college memorabilia. And yet this has been one of long-standing points of contention within the college. There are only two places in the world to get St. John's College memorabilia, the college bookstores in Annapolis and Santa Fe. This exclusivity draws people into the bookstore, where they usually purchase more than just a stick of gum. Parents, alumni, friends, family and students want to show their support for our great institution. It's a way of expressing their relationship to it. In buying the memorabilia, patrons are not only supporting the college directly, through the profit of their purchases, but they are also helping to bring awareness about St. Johns to a wider audience. We all know that St. Johns can be hard to explain. It couldn't be done with a bill board that says "St. John's College: Great Books, Not Basketball." But by having merchandise circulating, we are able to advertise for the college through personal exchanges. Someone can ask us about the school on the bus, or at the museum and can be introduced to our mission. We all benefit from this conversation. One more person learns more about us and the ripples of effect end only who-knows-where. How great!

Once I had addressed other peoples concerns, I wanted to find out about a few my own. Firstly, why are the manuals for our classes so expensive? And secondly, why does the bookstore run out of the most popular edition of St. John's program books? It is so frustrating!

When I asked Robin, he looked embarrassed and earnestly said, "I feel terrible, I am not here to make people miserable or bankrupt them…I see it as a personal mission to keep the costs down…I am their bookstore, their bookstore, suggest books and I will see if I can try it out, comments or complaints, I will explain everything, they are entitled to ask me." Robin has stiff competition from so many other booksellers that keeping the prices high would do nothing for the bookstore: it wouldn't get the business it wants and it would hurt its relationship with its most important customers: the students. So why are manuals so expensive?

Well, I found out that one reason is the smaller the printing, the more it costs per item. St. John's has relatively small printings, so the prices tend to be higher. Also copyrights are very expensive. Some of the more obscure translations we use in our Laboratory manuals can be especially expensive. Each copyright must be received individually, renewed yearly and sometimes costs up to $0.20 a page. With a 250 page manual that begins to add up.

I always assumed that competition would keep the prices down for most of the books, but since the bookstore is the only place to buy class manuals, I thought that they might take advantage of this opportunity to charge me at a higher rate than other books because I can't go anywhere else. I was shocked to learn that that isn't the case! The bookstore knows that the price is a problem and they have done everything they can to keep it down. In order to cover the total costs of the bookstore, Robin has to add an average 28% on everything he sells. But he only adds about 22% to the manuals. This means that patrons who choose to buy in the bookstore those things they could buy at Amazon or Barnes and Nobles help to subsidize the students who have to buy their class manuals there. And to help keep the price down in the future, Robin and Crystal Ebert, the new Assistant Manager, and Everett Reed, the new Floor Manager, are exploring new options with copyright clearing houses that might be able to cut back on some of the fees and ultimately reduce the price of manuals even further.

Finally, why does the bookstore run out of the most popular editions? Robin said that since he has limited storage space and limited funds he has to choose which editions he will stock. The problem is that the "popular" translations actually change dramatically from year to year. And he hasn't come across any factors he can discern or patterns that he can use to improve his predictions. It seems that being able to foresee which editions will be most popular in a given year is about as easy as translating a prophesy given by the Oracle at Delphi. Like all entrepreneurs, Robin tries to plan how to meet the needs people will have in the future with uncertainty about what they will want. It's a miracle that he can do it as well as he does!

When I am frustrated by things I see in the world I like to try to figure them out, and when I am able to learn the story of why they are the way are, it turns out that I live in a world that is much less frustrating than I first thought. The fact that the bookstore does so well means that more people learn about St. Johns and there is more financial aid available for students who need it. And all this growth of the community comes without begging for donations or increasing the price, or forcing anybody to do anything they don't want to! It is a win, win, win, win situation. The patrons of the bookstore win, the college wins, the students win, and the future Johnnies win. This peaceful and voluntary interaction enriches our community and helps us to educate, what could be more in line with the mission of the college?

Rachel Davison runs the Human Action Study Group: Rhetoric of Classical Economics, Tuesdays, 8:00pm, Coffeeshop. She is a Senior-transfer from Santa Fe, can be reached through campus mail or email at … and invites your thoughts.

Published:
The Gadfly: The St. John's College Student Weekly, Annapolis, MD
Volume XXIX, Issue 5, September 28, 2007

Awarded:
Students for a Free Economy
September Commentary Contest, 1st Runner-Up
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