Know Your Bookstore Employees- William

First of all, tell us a little about yourself. I graduated from OTC in 2012 with an Associate of Arts degree in teaching. I’m currently a senior at MSU with a major in math education. I work in General Merchandise at the OTC Bookstore, with a focus on required supplies and office supplies.

While the General Merchandise employees at the OTC Bookstore share similar responsibilities, you have some unique responsibilities. Can you tell us about them? Specifically, my purpose is to help take the load off of our GM manager by doing a lot of background number-crunching to determine the appropriate stock levels for the required supplies. I get to research new and fun items and recommend them for the bookstore. I’m also heavily involved in making sure all students have graduation regalia, processing those orders, and putting plans together for our team store.

What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy mathematics and playing video games.

How long have you been working for the bookstore?
About 2 years.

…oh my gosh, has it been that long?

What other, non-OTC jobs have you had in addition to this one?
I worked at Wal-Mart for ten years in store planning, remodeling and setting up brand new stores all across the country. I’ve traveled everywhere from New York to Florida, Michigan to Texas.

What's your favorite aspect of working at the bookstore?
Being a student, I enjoy the flexible hours and being able to contribute to the success of the bookstore and students at OTC while still having time to do the things that I need to.

Any favorite bookstore-related memory you could share with us?
Last year’s Community Day; we made Sno Cones! I’m also a fan of the student picnics. Really, I enjoy participating in all the events OTC does…at least, when it’s not raining.

Working at the bookstore is cool and all, but what's your dream job?
Teaching mathematics at a small high school in a nice rural town somewhere in the great American South.

What’s your favorite item that the bookstore carries, and why?
I get excited about so many things…I haven’t been able to tell all the special stories behind all the items in my department. The Maped study set [only $6.99!] is definitely my favorite item we carry, though. It has a compass, protractor, and triangles, making it much higher-quality than what we previously carried. Students really wanted it, and I was able to resource the item from a different vendor and sell it cheaper to the students!

If you could have any super power in the world, what would it be?
To magically reach difficult students and teach them math.

I asked fellow “folically-gifted” employee Jeff, so it only seems right to ask you, as well: what shampoo do you use for your long luxurious locks?
Suave, though I have been known to use Mane and Tail [BLOGGER’S NOTE: We do not currently sell either item at the OTC Bookstore. Sorry].

Finally, what would you like to say to all the people reading this blog right now?
Do what you need to do to get your education. Without one, you’ll face significant [avoidable] challenges in life, and OTC is a great place to start.

We're Hiring! Spring 2013

It’s the holiday season, and you know what that means: businesses are hiring extra help for the holiday shopping season! The OTC Bookstore is no different. We need fine men and women to help us through the holiday rush as students prepare to purchase their textbooks and other essential items for the spring semester.

“Man, the bookstore is all the way in Springfield, though,” some of you may be lamenting. “It’s not practical for me to commute all that way to work…”

Don’t despair. We have some good news for you.

This holiday season is a little different for us. In previous semesters, we brought various employees from our main OTC location in Springfield to our facilities in Waynesville, Branson, and Lebanon. After OTC opened up a new, significantly larger Lebanon facility in 2011, we had additional space and resources to hire employees specifically for that location. Now with bigger OTC facilities in Waynesville and Table Rock, we can hire employees specifically for those locations, as well! If you live in or around the Waynesville or Hollister areas and you’re looking for work, we want to hear from you! Anyone over the age of 18 is welcome to apply, whether you’re an OTC student or not. We have employees ranging from 18 to 60 years of age, students and non-students alike. The work itself is fun, fast, and for you students out there, flexible with your class schedule.

If you want to see for yourself why the bookstore is an enjoyable place to work, then what are you waiting for? Info on how to apply can be found on the OTC Jobs page.

Oh, and did I mention that sometimes the management brings in bagels? With cream cheese?

If that’s not incentive to apply for a job here, I don’t know what is.

Summer financial aid now available

My Payment Plan is available for use for the summer semester starting this week, and students have been coming into the OTC Bookstore in droves to purchase their textbooks and materials.

Seriously, I'm hiding in the school's computer lab to do this blog post during my lunch break. Cashiering tuckers a guy out!

This being the start of another semester, many of you students are just now beginning the college experience. Others of you may be looking for some reminders on the how the book buying process can be done in a quick and easy manner. Being the nice blogger I am, I have taken the liberty of searching out several older posts (but nonetheless very relevant!) that can help.

Getting/Reading A Booklist
Finding Your Books
Reading Shelf Tags
Checking Out
Financial Aid FAQ




Naturally, these posts can't cover every minute detail about the process. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any bookstore employee (we're the guys in bright blue shirts), or leave a comment on this post or our Facebook page.

Oh, one more friendly reminder: you have until Tuesday, June 11th to charge books to your MyPay account. Any returns must be made by Friday, June 7th. Happy buying!

As One Semester Winds Down...

...another gets ready to begin. Finals week is getting ever-closer, and as we've been seeing the past week or so, more and more students are getting antsy to begin selling back their textbooks they no longer need and purchase their books for the summer semester (seriously, I'd say questions regarding buyback and purchasing summer books have made up a good 85% of the phone calls we've received this week).

Now, we can give you some dates. End-of-semester buyback for the main campus begins MONDAY, MAY 6TH and runs through SATURDAY, MAY 18TH. The following is a list of times and locations.

OTC BOOKSTORE (springfield) - MAY 6-18

Mon- Thurs 8a.m. – 6p.m.Friday 8a.m. – 5p.m.Saturday 9a.m – 2p.m.

JARED FAMILY ATRIUM - MAY 6-18

Mon- Thurs 9a.m. – 5p.m.Friday 9a.m. – 4p.m.Saturday CLOSED

STUDENT PLAZA EAST TENT - MAY 6-18

Mon- Thurs 9a.m. – 5p.m.Friday 9a.m. – 4p.m.Saturday CLOSED

RICHWOOD VALLEY CAMPUS, ATRIUM - MAY 13-16

Mon – Thurs 9a.m. – 5p.m.

LEBANON CENTER, ROOM 240, ST. LOUIS BUILDING - MAY 14-16

Tues – Thurs 9a.m. – 5p.m.

BRANSON CENTER, ATRIUM - MAY 14-16

Tues – Thurs 10 a.m. – 4p.m.

WAYNESVILLE CENTER, ROOM 110 - MAY 14-16

Tues – Thurs 10 a.m. – 4p.m.

The usual standards apply: based on inventory demands, students can get up to 50% of the new price. Books for which we have no adoption information will be bought back at national market price – generally between 10% and 30% of the new price – which is based on the popularity of the book, along with supply and demand. Old editions, loose-leaf and out of print books generally have little or no buyback value.

For those of you eager to begin charging books to your My Payment Plan account (AKA Financial Aid), you can do so starting MONDAY, MAY 20TH, and lasting through TUESDAY, JUNE 11TH. The last date to return books for summer semester for a full refund will be FRIDAY, JUNE 7TH. After that, it's the standard 3-day return policy.

Exciting times, boys and girls.

Know Your Bookstore Employees- McKenzie Morrow

First of all, tell us a little about yourself.
I’m tough, sassy, honest almost to a fault, hardworking, can be serious, but enjoy joking around. I like reading books a lot, which is why I wanted to work at a bookstore. I like learning about European history, particularly Eastern Europe, and I hope to travel all over Europe at some point in my life. Maybe eventually live there, too.

How long have you been working for the bookstore?
I started as a seasonal employee in July 2012, and then became a regular in January 2013.

What other, non-OTC jobs have you had in addition to this one?
I worked as a cashier/customer service representative at Bass Pro Shops, then at Mediacom Ice Park as a party hostess, cashier, and customer service rep. And as of last Thursday, I'm now an employee of Great Southern Bank.

What's your favorite aspect of working at the bookstore?
I enjoy working with textbooks and helping people find them. I also enjoy working with other employees; they’re easygoing, fun to hang out with, and take a lot of school-induced stress off of my life.

Working at the bookstore is cool and all, but what's your dream job?
A writer of science fiction/fantasy books, preferably with some historical aspects because that’s my major. But aside from being a writer, I’d like to do something in international politics, since my interests are in Europe and European culture.

What are your favorite hobbies?
My main hobbies are playing softball and reading. Like a nerd, I enjoy doing research on historical subjects. As for my more girly side, I like to go shopping for clothing and makeup. Friendly get-togethers are always fun, too!

What’s your favorite item that the bookstore carries, and why?
Food items, particularly the Planters Nut and Chocolate Trail Mix [Blogger’s note- only $3.99!]. I’m very hungry when I get to work [Blogger’s note- Of course, she eats it before clocking in for work].

If you could have any super power in the world, what would it be?
Controlling the weather. Tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, lightning…those would be cool things to control. Oh, telekinesis would also be neat. And shapeshifting. Actually, it would be hard to choose just one super power, so maybe all? [Blogger’s note- No.]

Finally, what would you like to say to all the people reading this blog right now?
Don’t forget to bring your Smart Card whenever you come to buy your books!

Graduation Gear is Here!

Graduation is coming up in a little over a month, and as of today, all graduating students who have paid their graduation fee are able to pick up their regalia at the OTC Bookstore. Just drop by at your convenience, head to the customer service desk at the back of the store, and show us your Smart Card so that we can verify your eligibility for graduation. That’s it!

Your graduation package consists of a cap, custom gown, tassel, and a complimentary coffee mug. Certain students meeting special conditions will receive a golden honors cord if they have a GPA of 3.5 or above and/or veteran’s cord if they’ve served in the military. If you’re a member of Phi Theta Kappa, you can pick up any PTK regalia from the PTK office.

A few more friendly reminders: if you’re a female graduate planning on wearing high heels to graduation, you’ll want to take that into consideration when picking your gown length. Also, if you have yet to pay your graduation fee at the Cashier’s Office, you will not appear on our list as eligible to graduate, and will need to bring a receipt of payment to us from said office as proof.

The OTC Bookstore offers a variety of other graduation merchandise for purchase, including announcements, souvenir and keychain tassels, keepsake clocks, certificate  and graduation frames, cards, and even graduation Christmas ornaments. Be sure to take a look at our selection before you leave.

So, there you have it. Not too difficult, right? But getting your regalia is only part of the process. What about the actual graduation ceremony? That will be discussed in an upcoming blog entry.

Know Your Bookstore Employees: Matthew Reichert

First of all, tell us a little about yourself.
I am a sophomore at OTC with plans to transfer to Missouri State soon. I'm currently stuck in between majors, Music Education and…I don’t know the other one yet.

How long have you been working for the bookstore?
About 1 year and 2 months, off and on.

What other, non-OTC jobs have you had in addition to this one?
I’ve had a lot. Subway (the restaurant), various pools as a lifeguard/swimming lessons instructor, and a call center job at Brookstone, to name a few.

What's your favorite aspect of working at the bookstore?
I really like not having to sit down in a cubicle. I’m forced to remain active. I particularly enjoy visiting the other OTC campuses.

Working at the bookstore is cool and all, but what's your dream job?
To play in a really good orchestra, maybe perform music for a movie score.

Any kind of movie in particular?
Something like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. As a whole, I feel those kind of movies have way better scores.

What’s your favorite item that the bookstore carries, and why?
Good question. There are so many options! I most often buy candy (of which we have many varieties- Blogger), but I think that all of our flash drives (starting at $14.99) are pretty neat.

Any kind of flash drive in particular?
Darth Vader! ($24.99!)

What sort of hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?
I like to go to the gym, play piano, and listen to music.

If you could have any super power in the world, what would it be?
Invisibility. It’d be interesting to see how people act when no one is around them.

As a music major, what one song would you say perfectly encapsulates your bookstore experience thus far?
Space Jam! In Text Res we played that song over and over again.

Finally, what would you like to say to all the people reading this blog right now?
S’up, y'all? Go Eagles!

(I don't care what it's Rotten Tomatoes rating is; Space Jam was a great movie.)

Sourcing and Pricing Textbooks

Have you ever wondered how a university or college bookstore goes about sourcing and pricing textbooks?

You now have a chance to hear it, listen to this podcast and hear for yourself how the college industry as a whole sources and prices textbooks. There are many variables that contribute to individual stores operating slightly different, but as a rule and as a basic foundation all bookstore operates as stated on this podcast.

The OTC Bookstore operates very similar to this scenario.

Campus Retailing Podcast: Episode #2 Sourcing and Pricing Textbooks

Spring break!

What, it's spring break and you're spending your precious free time reading the bookstore's blog?

...good for you! Because we have information for you.

The vast majority of students may be out and about for spring break, but your loyal
friends at the OTC Bookstore are staying put to cover all of your assorted bookstore-related
needs. Our hours for this week are as follows:

Monday-Thursday 8AM-5PM
Friday: Closed

We know there are several of you out there who still have yet to purchase your textbooks
for your B-Block classes, and we highly recommend you use whatever newfound free time
you have this week to do so! If you're using MyPay MyWay, the last day to use financial
aid to charge your books is Friday, March 22nd (the end of next week). That's also the last day to return anything purchased for B-Block classes for a full refund. Any B-Block charges purchased after that date will fall to our standard 3-business-day return period.

That's all we have for now. Go back to soaking up the sun on the beach for a while. We'll be here when you get back.

The Big Financial Aid FAQ

With financial aid refunds starting to come in, now is a good time for some friendly reminders on how financial aid works.

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IS FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER?
No. Financial aid is only available for a limited time during each semester. The Cashier’s Office opens financial aid several weeks before the start of classes so that students may purchase their textbooks and other necessary items. After several weeks into the semester have passed and students have been given ample time to get what they need, the Cashier’s Office closes financial aid so that students may receive whatever leftover money they are owed.

WHY DID YOU ASK ME IF I WAS A B-BLOCK STUDENT WHEN I PURCHASED MY TEXTBOOKS?
B-block classes are shorter classes OTC offers that begin partway through the semester. Financial aid can be used after the regular cutoff date ONLY for students taking these B-block classes. We ask whether you are taking such a class so that we can verify that you are allowed to use financial aid to pay for your materials.

WHY CAN’T WE USE FINANCIAL AID YEAR-ROUND, ANYWAY?
As said, financial aid eventually needs to be closed so that the Cashier’s Office can deposit any refund money into a bank account of your choosing. Usually refunds are deposited into bank accounts around 2 or 3 weeks (?) after financial aid closes. And you’re always welcome to come back to the bookstore and use your refund money to purchase any other supplies you need. Just think of it as a brief “transition” period.

HOW DOES MY SMART CARD RELATE TO FINANCIAL AID?
Many students are under the misconception that everything they purchase in the bookstore is done so with their OTC Smart Card. During the busy season, we ask to see your Smart Card simply for identification purposes. We can access and utilize your financial aid by looking up your name in our database.

Once your financial aid has paid for all of your charges for the semester, you have two options for receiving your refund money. It can either be deposited into your own personal bank account, or a new bank account that you create through Higher One, the company that we partner with to create the Smart Cards. If you go the latter route, then, and ONLY THEN, can the Smart Card also act as a debit card. Use it as you would any other debit card, wherever you go, including the OTC Bookstore.

IF I HAVE MY FINANCIAL AID REFUND DEPOSITED INTO A HIGHER ONE BANK ACCOUNT, HOW CAN I WITHDRAW MONEY FROM IT?

OTC has two Higher One ATMs located around the campus, one in the OTC Bookstore, the other in front of the Cashier’s Office in Information Commons. Standard ATM rules apply. Please note that you can only withdraw $500 per day.

Please also note that when refunds start coming in, students will be scrambling like mad to get to the ATMs as soon as possible, so if you don’t want to wait in line or risk the ATMs running out of cash before you get there, withdraw early!

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These are just the main questions we receive at the OTC Bookstore regarding financial aid, but there are many, many more. For a bevy of other financial aid-related info, check out OTC's Financial Aid page.

It's TextRes Time

Place a textbook reservation within the past few months? Been chomping at the bit to get your hands on your textbooks for the Spring semester? Wait no more! The OTC bookstore has been scurrying around like crazy getting over four thousand orders together, and today, you can begin picking them up. If you're familiar with TextRes, you know how things work. If you're new to the TextRes experience, here's the rundown by campus.

NOTE: If you're taking classes at more than one OTC campus, your order will be held at the campus holding the majority of your classes (i.e. if you're taking one class on the main campus and two on the Lebanon campus, your order will be at the Lebanon campus). If you're taking classes mostly or solely online, you must specify what campus you want your orders delivered to by emailing textres@otc.edu. Otherwise, we will NOT have prepared an order for you.

ANOTHER NOTE: YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PICK UP YOUR TEXTBOOKS WITHOUT YOUR OTC SMART CARD. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ONE, PLEASE GO TO THE OTC BOOKSTORE AND APPLY FOR ONE BEFORE COMING TO PICK UP YOUR ORDER.

MAIN CAMPUS
If you're a student taking classes primarily at the Springfield campus, then you can pick up your order in Information Commons West at the Turner Family Foundation Student Lounge, ICW 115, 8:30am-5:30pm Monday - Thursday, and 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday. Proceed to the check-in table, and we'll look up your order number. Take your number to one of the cashiers along with your Smart Card, and we'll grab the complimentary tote bag containing your order. We'll go through your entire order, and you can take out anything you don't need or want. Finally, you can check out using your method of choice (MyPay, check, cash, etc.). The last day for pickups is Friday, January 18th. After that date, all remaining orders will be canceled and returned to our store shelves.

RICHWOOD VALLEY
You can pick up orders starting Tuesday, January 8th. The reservations will be housed at the RVC Bookstore in the FEMA storm shelter and can be picked up 9:00am-5:30pm Monday-Thursday, and 9:00am-4:30pm Friday. Look for the giant OTC Bookstore sign. Show your Smart Card to one of the cashiers, and we'll grab the complimentary tote bag containing your order. We'll go through your entire order, and you can take out anything you don't need or want. Finally, you can check out using your method of choice (MyPay, check, cash, etc.). The last day for pickups is Wednesday, January 23rd. After that date, all remaining orders will be canceled and returned to our store in Springfield.

LEBANON
You can pick up orders starting Wednesday, January 9th. The reservations will be held at the Lebanon Bookstore in Room 240 of the St. Louis Building and can be picked up 9:30am-5:30pm Monday - Thursday, and 9:30am-4:30pm Friday. Look for the giant OTC Bookstore sign in the window. Show your Smart Card to one of the cashiers, and we'll grab the complimentary tote bag containing your order. We'll go through your entire order, and you can take out anything you don't need or want. Finally, you can check out using your method of choice (MyPay, check, cash, etc.). The last day for pickups is Wednesday, January 23rd. After that date, all remaining orders will be canceled and returned to our store in Springfield.

WAYNESVILLE AND BRANSON
If you're primarily taking classes at either of these campuses, your books will automatically be reserved for you and are available for pickup starting Thursday, January 10 from 10am - 5:30pm. Show your Smart Card to one of the cashiers, and we'll grab the complimentary tote bag containing your order. We'll go through your entire order, and you can take out anything you don't need or want. Finally, you can check out using your method of choice (MyPay, check, cash, etc.). The last day for pickups is Friday, January 18th. After that date, all remaining orders will be canceled and returned to our store in Springfield. The dates you may pick up textbooks at these locations are as follows:

Friday, January 11
10am - 5:30pm
Monday, January 14
10am - 5:30pm
Tuesday, January 15
10am - 5:30pm
Thursday, January 17
10am - 5:30pm
Friday, January 18
10am - 5:30pm

If you have questions regarding your reservation or you want to cancel the reservation, you can contact the bookstore at textres@otc.edu, call us at 417-447-6620, or leave a comment on the blog or our Facebook page.