COLLEGE BOOKSTORE FEATURED AT IOWA LAKES BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING

The Board of Trustees of Iowa Lakes Community College received an update on the bookstores located at the college during their meeting Tuesday afternoon in Estherville.

Sandra Naig, bookstore coordinator, addressed the wide range of items available at the college stores.  Obviously, textbooks are the main staple of the inventory and the stores are extremely busy at the beginning of each term.  Bookstores are located in Emmetsburg, Estherville and Spencer.  Students in Algona and Spirit Lakes are served by a traveling store which makes at least one trip each term to those campuses. 

In recent years, the bookstores have seen a big increase in textbooks for online classes.  In addition, secondary programs (with area high schools) continue to see higher numbers.  Those books are often ‘rented’ for the term and returned at the end of the class.  Along with those changes, the staff at the bookstores are continually adapting to new trends – including “eBooks.”

Naig stressed the importance of the student and that her staffs’ number one priority is to provide excellent customer service to students, staff, faculty and the public.  As a way to ‘give back,’ the bookstores sponsor seven $200 scholarships that are given out each spring and fall.  The funds are always appreciated and Naig read a thank you note from one student.

Also during the meeting, the Trustees accepted a donated wind nacelle to help improve learning experiences for students in the Wind Energy and Turbine Technology program on the Estherville campus.  And, they received an update on progress toward the construction on the Regional Emergency Response Training Center located in Emmetsburg.

In other business, the Trustees approved grant applications to be submitted to the Palo Alto County Development Corporation; approved 260F training agreements with area companies; heard reports from fellow members on committees and councils; and listened to other routine reports from staff.

The next meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008.