Oberlin to Launch Online Bookstore, Reenvisioned Campus Shop

“We are thrilled to share the exciting news of our online bookstore, the future Campus Store, and the two partnerships that make them possible,” says Rebecca Vazquez-Skillings, Oberlin’s Vice President for Finance and Administration. “Our goal is to provide a seamless, convenient, and budget-conscious bookstore experience for our students and faculty, as well as our visiting families, alumni, and other guests. I am happy to say we achieved that objective through these partnerships with eCampus.com and University Gear Shop and in the selection of Mudd Center as the new home for our Campus Store.”

Improved Experience for All

The Campus Store and online ordering platform offer a host of advantages over the previous bookstore model; among them:

• Simplified processes for faculty course adoptions and student purchasing.
• Comprehensive support resources for faculty and students.
• The widest-possible selection of course materials from which faculty may choose.
• A wide range of student options for purchase and rent, based on budget and needs.
• A price-match guarantee, ensuring no student overpays for course materials.
• Convenient, free delivery of most materials to the Campus Store.
• Free returns of course materials up to 15 days after the start of classes.
• Expanded selection of high-quality, Oberlin-branded apparel and other spirit items and supplies.
• Convenient location in a bustling hub of campus.

Beginning this spring, faculty can begin making course adoptions for fall semester using the Faculty Administration Support Tool—or “FAST”—website, which includes access to advanced course material research tools that enable assessment of materials based on real-time pricing, availability, and student purchasing trends. Users log in to FAST using their Oberlin sign-on credentials.

Faculty will receive an email this week with information on registering for one of two virtual training sessions on May 7 and 8, with additional opportunities for one-on-one training available as necessary. 

Starting in July, students will use the new Online Bookstore as their one-stop shop to acquire course materials for fall 2025. Students will use their Oberlin single sign-on for immediate access to professor-selected materials in a variety of formats and price points, including new, used, digital, and rental options. Most orders will be shipped the same day and arrive the following day.

The site also connects users to eCampus.com’s Marketplace option, through which materials may be available from third-party sellers, often at steeply discounted prices.

Professor of English Jennifer Bryan looks forward to a streamlined ordering system that will ensure all students have the necessary course materials in hand—and in plenty of time.

“I’m really excited about eCampus,” says Bryan, a member of the committee that researched potential solutions for Oberlin. “I expect that all my students will have the books they need on the first day of class: the right editions, at a good price, with very little effort on their part. With a single, reliable, responsive system, nobody should fall through the cracks or fall behind.”

Oberlin’s Online Bookstore will be active in May; additional information will be shared with the campus when the site is ready.

A Campus Store—and More

According to Vazquez-Skillings, selection of Mudd Center as the new home for the Campus Store follows study of numerous other potential locations on campus.

“Our students love Azariah’s, and they love to gather in Mudd’s Academic Commons,” she says. “This move makes it easy for them to browse the store or quickly drop by for the item they need in a way that stays true to what they love about the space.”

The new store will occupy the area currently used to display periodicals, which will be relocated to a nearby section of Mudd’s Academic Commons. Vazquez-Skillings notes that, while the area that houses Azariah’s will be reconfigured to accommodate the Campus Store, the resulting layout will have a minimal effect on the coffee shop and will include improved seating and gathering options. 

The Campus Store is expected to open in early fall. As renovation of the space gets underway this summer, UGS will begin operations in a temporary location on campus. In the meantime, a Zazzle online pop-up store with a limited selection of Oberlin-branded merchandise has been established to accommodate short-term needs. 

For additional information, including frequently asked questions about course materials for students and faculty, please visit the bookstore page on Oberlin.edu.

For a list of frequently asked questions, please visit the bookstore page of Oberlin.edu.

ABOUT ECAMPUS.COM: Founded in 1999, eCampus.com is a premier online retailer of textbooks and digital course materials. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, it serves more than 300 schools, colleges, and universities nationwide. Learn more at www.ecampus.com and www.ecampushighered.com.

ABOUT UNIVERSITY GEAR SHOP (UGS): UGS is a trusted global distribution network specializing in supporting the needs of colleges and universities in providing branded, high-quality merchandise and apparel. For more information, visit www.universitygearshop.com.