tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83827345626642676182024-03-04T22:11:35.672-07:00Campus Store Central<center><b>News, Views, Trends and Practices</b></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-19178099310846973712010-01-29T15:58:00.001-07:002010-01-29T16:01:21.057-07:00Digital Platform for Campus Stores Announcement<strong><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Campus Stores Canada Announcement (January 29, 2010)</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">To All CSC Members:</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">In September 2009, an announcement was released regarding a digital platform being developed for Canadian and American campus stores. You can read about the announcement from CCRA and NACS Media Solutions at </span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/ygy25x8"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://tinyurl.com/ygy25x8</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Since this announcement the CSC has been actively working with the CCRA to make this digital platform available to its members. We are delighted to announce that an agreement has been reached and the first phase is now available to all CSC members. This phase will allow your store to provide free access to copyrighted Digital Study Versions of public domain books in ePub format free-of-charge. This will be a key first step in your efforts to retain market share with your students by being the source for free content. The digital platform can be accessed free of charge. As a result, there are no warranties, expressed or implied, and no technical support is being provided (and it is expected that none will be needed for the implementation of this phase).</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />Individual stores can sign up at:</span><a href="http://www.campusebookstore.com/Booksellers/Default.aspx"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.campusebookstore.com/Booksellers/Default.aspx</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Or, stores can place this link on their site: </span><a href="http://www.campusebookstore.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.campusebookstore.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">This announcement will be posted on CSC’s blog as well, and members can post questions using the Comment feature. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">CSC Digital Committee</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Paul Wilde (Chair), Mike Zybala, Darrell Kane, and Scott Henderson</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com217tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-28717771036966302022010-01-06T07:51:00.004-07:002010-01-06T07:58:22.146-07:00Top Ten Books of Past DecadeSure, the height of January Rush is in the air, and as campus booksellers we're franctically trying to stay on top of the needs of students returning to class after a holiday break. It's a fun, yet stressful time of year where we have too little space, too much stress over shipments of late-adopted and published out of stock books and more competition from more angles than ever in our history.<br /><br />What better time, then, to escape into the land of "reading for the pleasure of it" with a look at an eclectic selection of the "Top 10 Books" of the past decade?<br /><br />Appearing on <a href="http://themarknews.com/">The Mark News</a> (A Canadian "News & Perspectives Daily" column) is my personal selection of <a href="http://themarknews.com/articles/781-the-best-books">my favourite books from the past ten years</a> along with a 9 minute audio interview on the future of reading.<br /><br />C'mon campus booksellers, pipe in on the comment section -- what would be YOUR top picks?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-28719408212815901822009-12-23T12:42:00.006-07:002009-12-23T13:41:10.631-07:00eBook Piracy interviewOn November 30, The Spark on CBC Radio 1 interviewed Gabriella Coleman, an associate professor at New York University. She believes that online book piracy will shake up the traditional book business and what smart publishers can do to combat it. Click <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/spark/2009/11/full-interview-gabriella-coleman-on-digital-book-piracy/">here</a> for the full interview.<br /><br />Also, there is an article on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">UniversityAffairs</span></span>.ca website entitled <a href="http://www.universityaffairs.ca/electronic-textbooks-set-to-take-over.aspx">"<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Electronic</span> Textbooks: Set to take over?"</a> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">CSC's</span></span> own Mark <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Lefebvre</span></span> in quoted in it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-68666358950080044132009-12-14T08:47:00.001-07:002009-12-14T08:50:44.391-07:00Book Suggestions For Holiday GiftsLast week the folks from the <a href="http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/">McMaster Daily News</a> came into <a href="http://titles.mcmaster.ca/">Titles Bookstore </a>with a camera and asked what book I'd recommend for holiday gift giving. I went with one fiction title and one non-fiction title both of which I believe would appeal to a broad spectrum of readers.<br /><br />See <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TYcnR51aAg&feature=player_embedded">video</a> below, which not only includes my two selections, but great selections from McMaster University's Lorraine York, Professor of English and Cultural Studies and Associate University Librarian Vivian Lewis.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7TYcnR51aAg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7TYcnR51aAg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />I selected these books for the following reason.<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.lawrencehill.com"><br /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.lawrencehill.com">Lawrence Hill</a>'s THE BOOK OF NEGROES (Illustrated Edition)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyh0k1gr6vpPh-ew7HR7v1j1osR0CuuzUxWL4ov1AfnJH80wUGg2CaP27OTb3yTqgV3T9zj6eJhwAuLu3twCkaPbzEG562y6qNe1EpoIpASTZ8Vf5YwgdT3hg2t4AH0l3BNqTL4W6CQCk/s1600-h/9781554686957.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 172px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415111989191742082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyh0k1gr6vpPh-ew7HR7v1j1osR0CuuzUxWL4ov1AfnJH80wUGg2CaP27OTb3yTqgV3T9zj6eJhwAuLu3twCkaPbzEG562y6qNe1EpoIpASTZ8Vf5YwgdT3hg2t4AH0l3BNqTL4W6CQCk/s200/9781554686957.jpg" /></a>This phenomenal story about one woman's life experience living through the slave trade is beautifully written and one that sticks with the reader long after reading. This is a great selection for a number of reasons. First, just on its own, it's a fantastic novel. Second, if you know someone who has already read the novel, this makes a great gift because the illustrated edition adds a whole new way for the reader to enjoy the novel. Because it includes much of the artwork that inspired Hill when he was researching for the writing of the novel, the additional layer of historical references are perfect. This new presentation of the novel would also be appealing for the history buff.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.twistimage.com/blog">Mitch Joel</a>'s SIX PIXELS OF SEPARATION</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nE80xC4CPwrNvJZDXPExHSAAIjnWJ1Qk2tHP3RUqIgbbeHDlSduXWNchQV6x0RcYpkE0PfavoFdt7oz1wzUCjwASEeTyFbulnyWook2ATOHFGVlUxxMiKVeCIDICUYvfoU7xK-i7P2M/s1600-h/9780446548236.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415111993065906242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nE80xC4CPwrNvJZDXPExHSAAIjnWJ1Qk2tHP3RUqIgbbeHDlSduXWNchQV6x0RcYpkE0PfavoFdt7oz1wzUCjwASEeTyFbulnyWook2ATOHFGVlUxxMiKVeCIDICUYvfoU7xK-i7P2M/s200/9780446548236.jpg" /></a>Everyone is connected. Everyone is talking about new media and social networking. But there are a lot of people out there who don't understand what it's all about nor how it can be used for the greater good. Joel introduces the worlds of social networking (such things as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs and podcasting) in easy to understand layperson's terms then runs through various examples of how this interconnectedness can help benefit a person, brand or business. Though written with a business reader's perspective in mind, Joel's approach is one that can easily be appreciated by someone simply wanting to understand more about the digital world. And the cool thing is that once you finish reading it, you can continue to enjoy learning more from Joel's <a href="http://www.twistimage.com/blog/">blog</a> or <a href="http://www.twistimage.com/podcast/">podcast</a> in which he continues to advance knowledge and resources in these areas.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">What two books would YOU suggest make great gifts this holiday season?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-75786084152343208782009-11-24T08:11:00.006-07:002009-11-24T08:51:16.148-07:00CSC Advisory: Debit/Credit card voluntary code code of conduct<p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">On November 19, the Minister of Finance announced a proposed voluntary code of conduct governing debit and credit cards. It’s now open for public consultations. More information, including the press release and background information, is below. </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="562211919-19112009">The focus of the agreement includes</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">:</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;" > </span></span></o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" type="disc"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" > <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ensuring that merchants are fully aware of the costs associated with accepting credit and debit card payments.</span> <o:p></o:p> </span> </li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Providing merchants with increased pricing flexibility to encourage consumers to choose the lowest-cost payment option. </span><o:p></o:p> </span> </li><li style="" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Allowing merchants to freely choose which payment options they will accept.</span><o:p></o:p> </span></li></span></ul> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;" > </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">As you probably are aware, changes in the debit/credit card industry have created a situation where </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="562211919-19112009">merchants</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> pay a variety of different fees on the cards, and often the only time that they actually find out is when they get the bill in the mail. Criticism of this from retail groups has helped gestate this. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;" > </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span class="562211919-19112009" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">CSC will be making a submission in this</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">public consultation process. Members will be</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">advised when the document is available on the CSC site.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;" > </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Government press release is here:</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" ><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://www.fin.gc.ca/n08/09-109-eng.asp"><span style="font-family:Arial;">http://www.fin.gc.ca/n08/09-109-eng.asp</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;" > </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Backgrounder is here:</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.fin.gc.ca/n08/data/09-109_1-eng.asp"><span style="font-family:Arial;">http://www.fin.gc.ca/n08/data/09-109_1-eng.asp</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;" > </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Brief globe story is here:</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/new-conduct-code-for-credit-debit/article1369712/"><span style="font-family:Arial;">http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/new-conduct-code-for-credit-debit/article1369712/</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> </span></span></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-10228220825278664242009-10-21T12:13:00.006-06:002009-10-21T12:23:53.198-06:00The EU and Digital Book CopyrightBelow is a link to an article on EurActiv.com that states the EU<br /><br />"... will deal with the copyright aspects of digital publishing in the context of a new strategy on intellectual property rights in 2010."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/eu-tackle-digital-book-copyright-2010/article-186586">click here to see the full article</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-72758007287548004522009-10-21T04:34:00.009-06:002009-10-21T05:04:33.008-06:00Campus Chills<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzhXMMMfVETSCVaCBE_TBhon4q3BvATa1WGVXjMASH1msf6bd4stAM0BzlBGwqOs0co1a-me9Tbx7o7NwhCUiv0wV_0qI0OIiwlvWvuJq4AWLeu9od3qhyphenhyphenMMqrdexkjov5hlcB4q-sTeD/s1600-h/campuschills_frontcover.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395003973649837314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 122px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 181px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzhXMMMfVETSCVaCBE_TBhon4q3BvATa1WGVXjMASH1msf6bd4stAM0BzlBGwqOs0co1a-me9Tbx7o7NwhCUiv0wV_0qI0OIiwlvWvuJq4AWLeu9od3qhyphenhyphenMMqrdexkjov5hlcB4q-sTeD/s200/campuschills_frontcover.JPG" border="0" /></a>As if bookselling on campus isn't chilling enough in these times of dramatic change where everybody is wondering about the state of publishing, the viability of the printed textbook and emerging digital technologies . . .<br /><br />But this time, the chills are fiction -- imaginitive tales born from the dark corners of campuses across Canada.<br /><br />The time, it's a general interest book designed exclusively by campus bookstores and launching at four of them.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Campus Chills</strong>, premiering October 22, 2009 (just in time for Halloween) is an anthology of thirteen original tales of terror set on Canadian campuses and written by authors from across the country. The bookstores at University of Alberta, McMaster Univeristy and University of Waterloo joined forces to solicit fiction from some of the finest Canadian speculative fiction writers and have produced the trade paperback book on their <a href="http://ondemandbooks.com/">Espresso Book Machines</a>.<br /><br />Including fiction by Kelley Armstrong, Julie E. Czerneda, Kimberly Foottit, James Alan Gardner, Sephera Giron, Michael Kelly, Nancy Kilpatrick, Susie Moloney, Douglas Smith, Brit Trogen, Edo van Belkom, Steve Vernon and Carol Weekes, this original anthology is edited by Mark Leslie and introduced by Robert J. Sawyer.<br /><br />The book is being launched at four campus stores on the same day.<br /><br />On October 22, 2009, author Steve Vernon will appear at a lunchtime reading and book signing at <a href="http://ancillaries.dal.ca/default.asp?mn=1.3.41">Dalhousie University bookstore</a> in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Then, mid afternoon in Edmonton, Alberta, Susie Moloney and Brit Trogen will appear at the <a href="http://www.bookstore.ualberta.ca/">University of Alberta </a>bookstore for a reading, signing and Halloween-themed event. Beginning at 7PM in Hamilton, Ontario, <a href="http://titles.mcmaster.ca/">Titles Bookstore McMaster University</a> will host Kelley Armstrong, Kimberly Foottit, Sephera Giron, Michael Kelly and Edo van Belkom for a reading and signing combined with free guided ghost walks of the McMaster campus. And at 9 PM in Waterloo, Ontario, Waterloo Alumni authors Julie E. Czerneda, James Alan Gardner and Douglas Smith will meet registrants at the <a href="http://www.bookstore.uwaterloo.ca/">bookstore</a> then lead them to a special secret location to haunt them with readings of their work.<br /><br />11 of the 13 contributors will be at four locations in three provinces for this exclusive launch, which is something that has never been done before. What has also never been done before is the collaborative effort between 3 campus bookstores to produce a professionally authored general interest/trade book.<br /><br />You can't get this book at WalMart, or Costco or Amazon.<br /><br />If you want to get this book in time for Halloween, you need to get to your local campus bookstore to get one. The book is currently available at five campus bookstores -- the ones mentioned above as well as the <a href="http://www.bookstore.algonquincollege.com/">Algonquin College bookstore </a>in Ottawa (and the list continues to grow -- check out the following website for updates and links on where to buy it -- <a href="http://www.campuschills.com/where-to-buy">Where to buy Campus Chills</a>)<br /><br />Campus bookstores who are interested in carrying the book can order it from University of Alberta, McMaster or Waterloo bookstores. Check out the <a href="http://www.campuschills.com/">Campus Chills</a> website for more information.<br /><br />For a peek, check out the video book trailer . . .<br /><br /><p align="center"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9zmUrwUdD9w&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9zmUrwUdD9w&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-29215599592502067642009-08-10T13:41:00.004-06:002009-08-10T13:52:02.592-06:00CourseSmart Application for iPhone<a href="http://coursesmart.com/">CourseSmart</a>, has just <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124985423101217817.html">released</a> its first <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=325230226&mt=8">iPhone application</a>, allowing students to download etextbooks to their iPhone.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/cousesmart_college_textbooks_on_your_iphone.php"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368423268305557378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 153px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghldv0xkFGB5YNFMj6n-PhK67BU4Fv42oqBQttdjN6AODdEHz9ImK5uwa0oWG4C9SVSrDp-y1Q9kyp_btxYzfEGkHQK4JQWD8U9bB8whqnOvmmFgvdKrVn1CQz6XsNGKV7eF8ElmgL2YkN/s320/coursesmarscreenshot.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>An important note, though, is that while the CourseSmart etextbook version is typically cheaper than the hard copy textbook, the "e" version <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">expires after 180 days</span></strong>.</p><p>On the plus side, there's something wonderful about the instant nature of acquiring the etextbook in this manner.</p><p>But on the flip side, there's something unsettling about the almost "instant" nature of losing the etextbook purchased in this manner.</p><p>To ensure students get the most residual value (ie, ability to hold onto for later use, or re-sell) for their textbooks, it would be wise to remind them of the existence of the expiration date so that they can make an informed decision when deciding which textbook version to buy.</p><p>More info listed <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/cousesmart_college_textbooks_on_your_iphone.php">here</a> on <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/">ReadWriteWeb</a>:</p><a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/cousesmart_college_textbooks_on_your_iphone.php">http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/cousesmart_college_textbooks_on_your_iphone.php</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-12383601610419569502009-08-03T05:11:00.004-06:002009-08-03T05:26:15.899-06:00Bookstore BloggingAre you thinking about starting up a blog for your store (or perhaps improving an existing one that you have let go "stale"?)<br /><br />Check out <a href="http://indexmb.com/mcnally-jackson-three-questions-on-blogging/">video interview</a> with Dustin at McNally Jackson in NY talking about their <a href="http://mcnallyjackson.com/blog">The Common Reader</a> blog. Three simple questions -- three simple answers.<br /><br />(<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eac3qSl-Yc">Direct link to YouTube video</a>)<br /><br />The POV that this interview and blog takes is that of a general interest bookstore. Thus, it's a useful tool for those campus stores with a general/trade book section.<br /><br />But you might also consider how you might adapt the same principles here into your campus store blog to incorporate textbooks, giftware, computer accessories, etc. IE, "Staff picks" work in most product categories, not just general books.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-40063236195513351572009-08-01T06:05:00.002-06:002009-08-01T06:10:05.448-06:00The Book VS KindleIf your campus store offers USED TEXTBOOKS to help save students money on the continually rising cost of textbooks, you'll likely get a huge kick out of the following video.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pzSzKAtfJNg&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pzSzKAtfJNg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p><br /><br /><br />Yes, the video is a bit longer than it needs to be to make the point, but it does make an interesting point.<br /><br />While ebooks have a huge advantage in being able to allow you to carry a huge volume of books in a single portable device (either a dedicated reader or your smart phone of choice), the residual value and the consumer's ability to loan, re-sell or give-away the hard copy "dead tree" version of the book still has some distinct advantages.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-76870339356095824362009-06-11T11:59:00.003-06:002009-06-11T12:24:43.722-06:00Liquid Textbooks: Coursepacks in a Web 2.0 Digital World?<a href="http://www.symtext.com/">Symtext</a> is a start-up company based in Toronto that is promoting Liquid Textbooks.<br /><br />This is how they describe Liquid Textbooks to academics (excerpt from their site):<br /><br /><blockquote><em>By comparison, Symtext enables you to teach better courses by assembling best of breed digital content from multiple publishers into dynamic, continuously evolving "Liquid Textbooks", thus ensuring the highest possible quality content for students. Unlike traditional materials, Liquid Textbooks include not only traditional content like chapters, cases and articles, but podcasts, videos, presentations - curated Flickr feeds - data files, and many other types of digital files. (We'll clear the rights and do the work to make sure your students gain access to your Liquid Textbook through your School's Learning Management System.)</em> </blockquote><br />Web 2.0 approaches to digital content, such as this effort, may eclipse the focus on static digital textbooks (i.e. digital versions of hardcopy textbooks) sooner rather than later. <br /><br />Digital initiatives, whether applications or hardware, are emerging and evolving at a increasingly quicker pace. Where it is going to end up, nobody knows at this point. But we can't wait until the dust settles. Campus stores need to quicken efforts to adapt to the digital future, and a changing role within that future.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-46484104430023247122009-06-10T11:59:00.004-06:002009-06-10T13:07:38.146-06:00E-reader devices: The fun is just startingThis is an excellent update on what is happening with e-readers.<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=19012">E-reader devices: The fun is just starting Between the Lines ZDNet.com</a><br /><br />In particular, this was interesting:<br /><br /><blockquote>The key element player in the market—and driving down the price will be China.<br />Consider the textbook tipping point:<br />The textbook tipping point won’t come<br />from Harvard, MIT,or even Stanford: We think it will come from developing<br /> nations like China and India, whose universities will use technology<br />to leapfrog ahead of Western counterparts. China especially is already a<br />fast-growing market for eReaders like Jinke Electronics’ HanLin eBook,<br />which sells for US$299 and includes 600 free books. We expect the textbook<br /> eReader market to start this year with modest sales of content<br />through the Kindle DX, with greater adoption starting in 2011 and reaching<br />more sizable numbers by 2013.</blockquote><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><blockquote><span style="font-size:0;"></span> </blockquote></span><a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=19012"></a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-54352135156197328682009-06-05T08:29:00.006-06:002009-06-05T08:49:53.695-06:00University of Saskatchewan Bookstore begins renovations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvxSOYD_qkeo1OTnRXlCyetXdGMErX2T_ZDWbN7bIV7uscrppvZsEvPMsQ9mMWrHgHQhAFVAmyaF69UbW0p83rzNLRtb9O5XcorkX1FLh4R9ru8xVbe7oqnjvkO9LA_JNKVL1YlVmg80/s1600-h/P1010567.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343851597007255410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvxSOYD_qkeo1OTnRXlCyetXdGMErX2T_ZDWbN7bIV7uscrppvZsEvPMsQ9mMWrHgHQhAFVAmyaF69UbW0p83rzNLRtb9O5XcorkX1FLh4R9ru8xVbe7oqnjvkO9LA_JNKVL1YlVmg80/s320/P1010567.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This is the first post of a series that will follow the renovations to the Bookstore at the University of Saskatchewan. As you can see in the above picture, these shelves have been emptied and will soon be moved out. The area shown here will be gutted and redesigned into a more modern and efficient retail space.</div><div> </div><div>Renovations will take place now through till mid December. The plan is to renovate our main cash out area, some offices and retail space for clothing, art supplies and stationery from now till mid August. Work will then be put on hold till the end of September when we renovate the book selling floor and the rest of the offices. The Bookstore will remain open during the renovations.</div>Mark Jagoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13721913243248156925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-3169639546642131142009-05-14T12:25:00.005-06:002009-05-14T12:33:05.800-06:00Kindle DX poses profitability challenge to publishersAn <a href="http://www.itnewscanada.ca/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=4635&option=com_virtuemart&np=1">article</a> in Information Week Canada discusses how the Kindle DX could cause profitability problems for textbook publishers. Its interesting how these discussions parallel similar discussions about the music industry when the iPod was introduced. This article also touches on the "green" aspect of ebook reader devices. We have focused a lot of time talking about the competing business cases of digital vs. traditional publishing, but some universities may be looking at how not publishing paper textbooks will help the environment.Mark Jagoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13721913243248156925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-29153550355139518792009-05-13T16:07:00.007-06:002009-05-13T16:18:58.692-06:00E-textbooks vs. Kindle DX: What will college kids pick?A recent <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10235937-1.html">article</a> in Crave, a blog from cnet magazine, discusses the benefits of laptops and netbooks over the Kindle DX. I think this adds credence to my statement in an earlier blog that Apple may be developing a device that is both a tablet PC (a laptop that recognizes handwriting and has a keyboard) and ebook reader. By and large, laptop use among university students has grown organically. There have been some high profile universities, such as The University of North Carolina, that have been successful in requiring their students to buy laptops; but, by and large, students have realized on their own the gains in productivity they could gain from having a laptop. I'm not saying that the Amazon Kindle DX will fail because some schools tell their students they need to use them, I'm saying that students will use the device that best suits their purpose.Mark Jagoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13721913243248156925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-72748108305804700122009-05-13T08:29:00.004-06:002009-05-13T08:45:59.949-06:00How the iPod changed everything!Globeandmail.com is becoming a very good source for information about the digital world. When you go to globeandmail.com, you'll notice a Technology tab towards the top of the page. There is a very interesting <a href="http://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/download-decade/how-the-ipod-changed-everything/article1133329/#video">video documentary</a> titled The Decade the Music Died. It is interesting because it features Sam the Record Man discussing what the downloading of music has done to his retail business. I think the two main lessons to be learned from this video are: (1) Don't stick your head in the sand and pretend the changes toward digital aren't happening; and, (2) Publishers will not necessarily partner with bookstores on digital books. Remember what's happened to Sam the Record Man!Mark Jagoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13721913243248156925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-37782655962548096492009-05-12T11:38:00.002-06:002009-05-12T11:43:48.942-06:00Expresso Book Machine at WaterlooThe University of Waterloo is getting an Expresso Book Machine to join McMaster and University of Alberta (the first in a campus store).<br /><br />Read about it at:<br /><a href="http://www.exchangemagazine.com/morningpost/2009/week19/Thursday/050714.htm">http://www.exchangemagazine.com/morningpost/2009/week19/Thursday/050714.htm</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-5198434016120358242009-05-12T11:24:00.004-06:002009-05-12T11:32:15.415-06:00Other Campus Store Blogs Worth FollowingWe have included two other blogs in our Campus Links section of Campus Store Central (see below bottom right).<br /><br />Mark Nelson's blog will be useful for those wanting to stay up-to-date on digital developments. Paula Haerr's blog will interest GM buyers.<br /><br />If you have another blog specifically of interest to campus stores, please add a comment to this post.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-43623631766843272142009-05-12T11:08:00.003-06:002009-05-12T11:36:31.979-06:00Free On-Line Training Videos for RetailersThe Gift and Home Channel has an extensive range of free on-line videos covering a comprehensive list of retail topics. Topics are often covered over a number of videos so viewers can cover a topic in one setting or, more likely, over a number of viewings. Also included in their training collection are retail training videos from the Canadian Gift and Tableware Association.<br /><br /><a title="blocked::http://www.giftandhomechannel.com/content/all-video" href="http://www.giftandhomechannel.com/content/all-video">http://www.giftandhomechannel.com/content/all-video</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-60843846818997172642009-05-12T08:27:00.007-06:002009-05-12T08:40:07.559-06:00Students Skeptical Kindle DX Can Replace Paper ChaseThis <a href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/etextbooks/">article</a> appeared in wired.com and talks about why some students think the new Kindle DX will not replace paper textbooks. Personally, I agree with the student who said students already have a laptop and don't want to be carrying another device. There are rumors Apple will introduce a device much like a tablet PC in which the user can write notes by hand or with a keyboard with the added feature of being an ebook reader. This kind of device would be very popular with students because it can be used to do everything a laptop does, plus be an ebook reader. Apple also has a very strong distribution model with iTunes. It should be very interesting as Apple and Amazon fight each other for market share.Mark Jagoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13721913243248156925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-13321648251348748192009-05-08T08:44:00.007-06:002009-05-12T11:07:13.231-06:00University of Saskatchewan Opens New On-Line BookstoreThe University of Saskatchewan Bookstore has opened a new <a href="https://www.usask.ca/consumer_services/bookstore/store.php">online bookstore</a>.<br /><br />This online store differs from a lot of other university online stores because not only can students search for and purchase textbooks, customers will also be able to search by author and title. The aim is to sell more textbooks, but also more general and reference books.<br /><br />Future versions of this online store will include clothing and giftware and the ability for students to authenticate using a username and password and have all their textbooks displayed.<br /><br />This online store also gives the UofS Bookstore the ability to sell digital books, since most digital books will be sold over the internet.Mark Jagoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13721913243248156925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-71454262399134141352009-05-06T08:12:00.004-06:002009-05-06T12:46:42.955-06:00Amazon to Launch Kindle for TextbooksThe Wall Street Journal has reported in an <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124146996831184563.html">article</a> that Amazon plans today to introduce a new larger screen Kindle ebook reader aimed at students. The article goes on to say that Amazon has worked out agreements with several textbook publishers as well as six universities that will participate in a Kindle pilot beginning this fall.Mark Jagoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13721913243248156925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-24983080397417785572009-04-17T13:17:00.004-06:002009-04-17T13:32:50.370-06:00Critter Cleaners<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmxexPItc3zwJQGQyyHTx5bzCD6Ppe6sWU4-Cmke1ETipGzcCi867nlBw3Pm6kEvx3fI1XIQGSyhqvb3-BY51BbG7vyl9VwzVCneSSNFsdf3u670TacLjEUhzWIp3v0InPiC2GgLln_3V/s1600-h/elecom+group.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 195px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmxexPItc3zwJQGQyyHTx5bzCD6Ppe6sWU4-Cmke1ETipGzcCi867nlBw3Pm6kEvx3fI1XIQGSyhqvb3-BY51BbG7vyl9VwzVCneSSNFsdf3u670TacLjEUhzWIp3v0InPiC2GgLln_3V/s320/elecom+group.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325745143653202626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq95fcgbbroqa9dxm8L9Qw1c_4o4JDJgn1C1VkEdT_H9RGRAf9geRPco4gRq8rA845HGWLT2cgQ5naN1WZHPFWm0ibGIeobHfjqBY9TGpfMmv0cVu-WmWUdQiCVJnSWdO1aVj-e1MJ5NE/s1600-h/elecom+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 75px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq95fcgbbroqa9dxm8L9Qw1c_4o4JDJgn1C1VkEdT_H9RGRAf9geRPco4gRq8rA845HGWLT2cgQ5naN1WZHPFWm0ibGIeobHfjqBY9TGpfMmv0cVu-WmWUdQiCVJnSWdO1aVj-e1MJ5NE/s320/elecom+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325745143840991330" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKw7RGGBfmV_xhYrmWKRtKiag2w3HYiuY2xouG9rxRdlH8fV779oGNdmJDjYYxwfpkdm8Vj1UOGepF56xDl4jr6t8XwEYPsTshZBFk7gHbaLav_VKq4yluAGxhJFM_HFAYc0i4NUYB391P/s1600-h/elecom+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 72px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKw7RGGBfmV_xhYrmWKRtKiag2w3HYiuY2xouG9rxRdlH8fV779oGNdmJDjYYxwfpkdm8Vj1UOGepF56xDl4jr6t8XwEYPsTshZBFk7gHbaLav_VKq4yluAGxhJFM_HFAYc0i4NUYB391P/s320/elecom+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325745140471624754" /></a><br />We discovered these fun little animal desktop cleaners made by <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.elecom.co.jp/global/">Elecom</a></span> on the <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.audiocubes.com">AudioCubes</a></span> website recently and instantly new they'd be a big hit with the youth market. The nylon dusters are great for getting between the keys on your keyboard, while the wool dusters are safe for your screen. There are also padded cloth erasers which work as a general purpose cleaning tool.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-80158217447451089402009-04-13T13:23:00.003-06:002009-04-13T13:31:15.267-06:00Piggy Banks for Cool Kids<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcE4jz0bDz2eS0bZZxInLxzn5Tm8q2JmN8TqJtWfRnsucDgIsUT7brHz-c8DUB1NxrJ_UjMcGpLdXG5rT6n6rjwtgRqpM3iHBHnLJveObthoTckw_AI1TkutiYtvjn5OWP_tO_PbpIhIz/s1600-h/daisy_large.jpg.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcE4jz0bDz2eS0bZZxInLxzn5Tm8q2JmN8TqJtWfRnsucDgIsUT7brHz-c8DUB1NxrJ_UjMcGpLdXG5rT6n6rjwtgRqpM3iHBHnLJveObthoTckw_AI1TkutiYtvjn5OWP_tO_PbpIhIz/s320/daisy_large.jpg.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324260790766510658" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQMmnrtag04aFVkjRF16Jdtd2ux4pXEkgaWktX47ResFzUDhovqd3xy98dCg0IjJDdPPNRMVf38G3to5YU19IDi64_vA8pj6gqIBfS4sBybSUTOCj5Lok-zEmeOT5Su9jvpPb6u_KPCx1/s1600-h/count_large_dwell.jpg.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQMmnrtag04aFVkjRF16Jdtd2ux4pXEkgaWktX47ResFzUDhovqd3xy98dCg0IjJDdPPNRMVf38G3to5YU19IDi64_vA8pj6gqIBfS4sBybSUTOCj5Lok-zEmeOT5Su9jvpPb6u_KPCx1/s320/count_large_dwell.jpg.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324260789947995442" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuwot0pASwz9YzuiZUzkYTA-HlReB9MHYUStXhN0-rbRNc-xzR9-vSHs-BnWG9nP6p9juJfTldgAn5H34pRuWbOvnIC00Bhyphenhyphend0BrlyUDSJR70ZDIplAYYFi_36LpS1YIGILApirR6d0Nf/s1600-h/chick_piggy+by+Not+Neutral.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 244px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuwot0pASwz9YzuiZUzkYTA-HlReB9MHYUStXhN0-rbRNc-xzR9-vSHs-BnWG9nP6p9juJfTldgAn5H34pRuWbOvnIC00Bhyphenhyphend0BrlyUDSJR70ZDIplAYYFi_36LpS1YIGILApirR6d0Nf/s320/chick_piggy+by+Not+Neutral.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324260783803258050" /></a><br />Somewhere between the mid 70s and the late 90s, piggy banks somehow managed to transform themselves from cutesy objects for kids to cool collectibles for young adults. We're not quite sure who is responsible for said transformation (was it famed Canadian Karim Rasid? Designer-Darling Jonathan Adler?), but we're not complaining. <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.notneutral.com">Not Neutral</a></span>, a multi-discipline design firm based in Los Angeles, has created some very affordable piglets worth dropping your coinage into.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382734562664267618.post-13600030168972698022009-04-12T09:57:00.005-06:002009-04-12T10:06:33.844-06:00Cheaper Parking for Eco Friendly Cars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wmBWsUcwWe4Mqfk4W6LJpOFpepCyDhVSOT6NulysxPTLgEqS6m3q4cuT4dhyphenhyphenA1s0z4mBSvcvbuKYhRwzVqsyjW-x4xDMX51ivTAgwiJZJdbgydam6QxTlAdxQmhzRxgJyA2Kef-8TeBG/s1600-h/SpringWise.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wmBWsUcwWe4Mqfk4W6LJpOFpepCyDhVSOT6NulysxPTLgEqS6m3q4cuT4dhyphenhyphenA1s0z4mBSvcvbuKYhRwzVqsyjW-x4xDMX51ivTAgwiJZJdbgydam6QxTlAdxQmhzRxgJyA2Kef-8TeBG/s320/SpringWise.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323836490536922290" /></a><br />This was blogged about on the <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.springwise.com/">SpringWise</a></span> website - a site that talks mostly about new and inventive business ideas for entrepreneurial minds - and we instantly thought about what a great initiative it would make for colleges and universities. Reward students with eco-vehicles with 1/2 price parking. See the clipped image above for the full idea (just click on the image to view larger so you can read the text). In Los Angeles, we have also seen parking lots where eco-vehicles get the premium spots, (those that would be closest to the faculty buildings), typically next to the handicap spaces. University of Manitoba students would give their right arms for that!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0