The University’s new online bookstore’s first semester as the official course book provider for students has been met with criticism from students, who have expressed frustration over the platform’s prices, shipping delays, and an overall inconvenient experience.
In April, the University and Labyrinth announced that they would be terminating their longtime partnership. The decision to part ways followed 17 years of the Nassau Street bookstore providing students with their required reading materials.
Before the fall semester began, students were directed to place orders through the eCampus Online Bookstore, a fully digital platform available at over 300 educational institutions and the new primary option for University students to obtain class reading materials. Despite the digital platform’s claim to be a “premier online bookstore,” students reflecting on their experience reported issues and delays.
The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning runs the online bookstore, serving as a liaison between the book supplier and its users. Said users are largely students and faculty, although anyone with Princeton credentials can log on and use the bookstore’s services.
Last month, the University’s Print and Mail Department announced that all packages and mail would be processed within 48 hours. According to data provided by Marija Naumoski, senior instructional designer at the McGraw Center, 81 percent of course book orders shipped within 24 hours of being placed and were available to be picked up within the 48-hour processing time.
For Sena Chang ’28, the process has been difficult, and she has had trouble with deliveries. Chang was unable to receive some of the books she ordered in time for the start of lectures and precepts.
“I wasn’t necessarily able to have my books for certain precepts or in certain lectures, which was a big disservice to my learning, especially because the campus bookstore didn’t notify me whether or not the books were getting delivered and why they were canceled,” Chang told The Daily Princetonian.
Chang is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
“I ordered over 30 books off the bookstore, but I had to pick them up individually from Frist,” Chang continued. “Whereas my peers who had purchased their books from Amazon didn’t have that issue because they just came all at once.”
Similarly, Ari Ahdieh ’28 was enrolled in a Humanities sequence and purchased all 30 books off the eCampus bookstore.
“I overall had a good experience,” Ahdieh wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “I would honestly just have liked a little more clarity on the various buy, rent, and used options as I wasn’t initially so clear on how each of these worked, especially on the renting side.”
For Bedros Maldjian ’26, the introduction of the eCampus bookstore removes Labyrinth’s convenience factor of being able to purchase course materials near campus.
“I was extremely disappointed with the new system of buying books at Princeton,” Maldjian said. “It used to be so convenient, and I could walk into Labyrinth unannounced, say my course number, and I got my books for the semester immediately without any delay.”
Maldjian has not yet used the new bookstore.
“Due to the new online bookstore, I’ve looked for alternative ways to get my coursebooks after using Labyrinth for my first two years at Princeton,” he added.
Despite being an independent online bookstore, eCampus does have connections with Amazon.
“In the event of late adoptions or publisher delays that are out of their control, eCampus has a network of drop-ship partners who can fulfill orders that are unavailable at the central distribution center,” Naumoski wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “This solution includes Amazon and allows eCampus to fulfill student orders quickly and efficiently by sourcing from these partners who can ship from their own distribution centers and locations in closer proximity to Princeton. In these cases, the order may be delivered in an Amazon box or other box not labeled eCampus,” Naumoski continued.
Some students have noted the eCampus bookstore’s higher prices. Chang provided an example: “History of the Peloponnesian War” is required for students enrolled in Humanistic Studies (HUM) 216 and 217. On the eCampus online bookstore, a new copy is $20.18, while the same book is $16.77 on Amazon.
On the online bookstore’s frequently asked questions sheet, it does mention a policy regarding price matching, stating: “With our price match guarantee, we will price match a new, used or rental textbook within seven days of purchase from your online bookstore.” Under this policy, if a book is offered for a lower price on a certain list of sites, students can submit a request to buy the book from eCampus for a lower price — one that matches an eligible site’s offer.
“With a price match guarantee option, students can receive the best price from the Princeton online bookstore while being confident that they will receive the correct professor-selected course materials for first-day success,” Naumsoki wrote.
However, several students have reported to the ‘Prince’ that they did not know about the price match policy, leaving many with significantly higher costs.
“Listening to my peers who had ordered off of Amazon, their totals for the same collection of books came out to be around $400, whereas my total was around $800,” Chang said.
Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate Sports editor and News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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