(left to right) Vardon Cox and Beth Hawthorne use their new equipment to help students

Technology Streamlines Erskine Bookstore

Erskine alumnus William J. Horne, a member of the Class of 1948, stood at the checkout counter of the Erskine College Bookstore last week, where a computer that spits out itemized account statements has replaced the old cash register and adding machine.

"I remember when the bookstore used to be just a hole in the wall over in the Erskine Building," said Horne.

The bookstore has undergone changes in location and décor over the years, but this latest change is a leap forward.

Bookstore manager Vardon Cox and assistant manager Beth Hawthorne were glad to see the cash register go, because its departure signals a significant shift for the Erskine bookstore, which, unlike many college stores, has remained an in-house operation.

"I really wanted us to get out of doing handwritten ledgers," said Cox, an Erskine alumnus and longtime tennis coach who has run the shop since 1968. "Beth had to record and post everything by hand.

"I've always tried to operate the bookstore in a service-oriented way," Cox said. "I think it's important that the bookstore be responsive to faculty, staff and students."

One aspect of the bookstore's service orientation is that students are allowed to have their own charge accounts. "We allow students to charge and bill them at the end of each month," Cox explained. "I believe we are one of the few colleges in the country who still do that."

"I used to handle each account four or five times," said Hawthorne, an Erskine alumna who has worked in the bookstore for 18 years. "I had to write up the charges, ring them up, alphabetize them, post them to the ledger and then add interest when necessary at the end of the month."

The result of all this tedious business was that Hawthorne spent much of her time on posting, though her duties in and out of the bookstore extend well beyond keeping the accounts. So for Hawthorne, computer assistance with accounts and inventory control is a great boon.

Cox said the students have generally given the bookstore high marks in surveys administered over the years. The one complaint that the bookstore does receive from time to time concerns the price of books. "And I don't blame them for complaining about that–they are awfully expensive," he said.

Cox said that although it is important that the bookstore operate in the black, "We don't want to gouge the students." He said the bookstore's prices are in line with those at other South Carolina colleges.

In addition to textbooks, the campus shop sells clothing, sundries, school supplies and snacks. Several years ago, Cox wanted to move in the direction of a real convenience store, and he has seen this trend take hold at other colleges. Right now, there is not quite enough space for such an operation, though the shop does include some convenience store features, including a refrigerated case at the back.

"When we first moved into our present location, we really had no storage at all in this building," Cox said. "I kept my old office in Watkins and just ran back and forth when I needed things.

"After we had been here a short time, some preachers who were friends of mine came to the campus and built us a storeroom at the back in here. I don't know how we'd get along without that space now.

"We've changed the look of the store over the years," Cox said. "For example, we've changed fixtures, and put up what we call a 'slat wall' for displaying clothing for sale."

Cox said he and Hawthorne "try to keep up with what's moving, with what student consumers want." He said staying in touch with students helps keep the store's selection competitive.

"I think we've got a real good selection, certainly as good as that of any small college store in the region."

Both Cox and Hawthorne eagerly await the launching of the bookstore's web page, which they believe will increase their business. Even without the web page, alumni stop in and buy things when they are on campus for meetings or events. "And we get a lot of requests for gift items for Christmas and other occasions during the year," he said.

Cox said he truly enjoys his job. "I like dealing with people, dealing with students. It's a great atmosphere to work in." He also praised Hawthorne, whose personality, he says, contributes a great deal to the atmosphere of the shop.

"Beth is so friendly–she keeps the environment of the bookstore friendly," he said.

"My favorite part of the job is talking to students and getting to know them. They're always so nice," said Hawthorne, who supervises a number of student workers.

Cox, who has tried to keep up with his tennis players over the years, said eventually he'd like to keep a computer file of all the students who have ever worked in the bookstore, and maybe someday have a reunion of those students.

He hopes to have a computer on his desk at some point, as well as one on the back counter of the store where, for example, professors could check on books in stock. After many years without any sort of automation, he said, "I've never really done much of anything on a computer before." But he is learning.

Hawthorne, who now has a computer on her desk and who uses the "cash register computer" every day, enjoys being freed up to tend to other duties in the bookstore and in Watkins Student Center, where the bookstore staff is in charge of the guest and meeting rooms.

"It used to take several weeks just to get ready for school to start," said Hawthorne. "We still keep very busy in here, but this is much better."

The computerization of the Erskine Bookstore was made possible by the Bell Enrichment Fund.