Virginia Book Company will no longer sell textbooks after 37 years of business

Varsha Vasudevan, Staff Writer

The Virginia Book Company will no longer sell textbooks, according to general manager Sarah Vaughan.

The store is convenient to the VCU dining hall, library and freshmen dorms, though independent from the university.

VBC has been in the business of selling secondhand and used copies of books to students since 1986, according to Vaughan. 

Vaughan said she operates VBC but the owner of the store is actually her father Ernest Mooney, and she took over for him after his retirement 10 years ago. 

The trend of most things shifting online for convenience is greatly expanding, putting the textbook industry in danger, according to Vaughan.

“Textbooks are actually becoming a thing of the past,” Vaughan said. 

Popular textbook publishers said at a trade show she attended that they wanted students purchasing textbooks directly from them instead of stores like VBC, according to Vaughan. 

“They told us a while ago they were going to put the used books out of business,” Vaughan said. “They do not want you to have a used book. They do not want to have any alternatives.”

COVID-19 caused students and professors to turn to more online textbook alternatives when they were not able to access physical copies during the pandemic, Vaughan said.

Vaughan said competition between VCU’s official bookstore, Barnes & Noble, was another discouraging factor for business at VBC.

“It’s [VBC] always been a VCU bookstore,” Vaughan said. “It was an alternative to the on store campus because we were trying to offer affordable solutions.” 

VBC employee and 2010 VCU graduate Amanda Lewis said VBC is currently doing a “liquidation sale” where they sell as many textbooks to students as possible. Lewis said after that, VBC will try to sell them back to wholesalers, who handle used books. 

Lewis has been working at VBC as a full-time employee since 2011 and was an on and off seasonal temporary employee in college. 

Lewis said selling textbooks while there were increasing alternate online versions, was no longer a “profitable business model.” 

“I’ve been here for so long and have gotten to know the textbook industry that I knew this day was coming,” Lewis said. 

Vaughan said VBC will now be shifting focus into selling VCU merchandise and common school supplies.

“More than half the business is gone,” Vaughan said. “So yeah, it’s going to change significantly how we look at things.”

Vaughan said decisions about staffing needs and extra space in the store are yet to be made. 

Lewis said one of the most important things VBC is yet to do is reevaluate the organization of the retail space. 

Lewis handles online orders to VBC and said her role as an employee will adapt to VBC’s new focus on merchandise. 

“We definitely get a lot of online orders for merchandise, gear and apparel,” Lewis said. “But I’ll probably take a more active role in doing some of the merchandising displays.” 

VBC employee and sophomore political science student at VCU John Scharetg said he believes students should still have access to secondhand textbooks because it is more “financially plausible.”  

“I think it’s a little outrageous that our tuitions are being raised every single year, and yet we can’t get books for any cheaper,” Scharetg said. “The fact that VCU doesn’t want to help VBC at all is kind of funny to me.”

Although most of VBC’s sales come from merchandise, providing cheaper textbook options was what it was known for, according to Scharetg. 

“I think that there will be complaints about it, but overall, it is what it is,” Scharetg said. “I don’t think it’ll be the end of the world, but it does suck that it’s happening.” 

VCU sophomore philosophy of law and political science student Ramsey Cooper said VBC’s decision to no longer sell textbooks will make textbooks “less accessible” to students.

“Especially in college, we don’t really have the money to spend on brand new books,” Cooper said. 

Senior psychology student Hiba Nakhlawi said she has rented textbooks from VBC in the past and found the store convenient with friendly employees, books and supplies always in stock. 

“I remember going there freshman year with my parents and picking out merch and stuff,” Nakhlawi said. “It feels like a staple of VCU, so it’s kind of weird to see it go.”