Barnes & Noble College Bookstores Joins A&M International

There's a new face on the Texas A&M International University campus. Barnes & Noble College Bookstore is now at home at the University's new Student Center.

Lori Schrader, district manager for Barnes & Noble College Bookstores, said the firm has a commitment to giving the campuses it serves the tools to succeed.

"We're happy to be a part of the growing A&M International community and committed to helping our store here succeed and provide this campus with the resources it needs to serve students best," Schrader said.

Socorro Calderon, a Laredo native, is store manager, and said the University's growing student population will see impressive changes at the new bookstore.

"We're well aware of the tremendous growth here at A&M International and worked with some space challenges with our previous facility, but we're looking forward to growing with the University in our new Student Center location, " Calderon said.

She said new services and capabilities the move to the new 89,900 gross square feet Student Center has made possible include a special reading area for book and magazine sales, a relaxing coffee bar and expanded access and service counters.

"We believe the new facility will help us to be more responsive to the needs of our growing users. In addition to serving the on-campus community, we're also serving the needs of the surrounding area as residents in this growing part of north Laredo can also visit and shop for books here," Calderon explained.

"We realize that this is one of the crucial ways that we can distinguish ourselves from other college book vendors and are committed to going the distance," she said.

Founded in 1873, Barnes & Noble College Bookstores, Inc. is a privately

held company which operates college and university bookstores for more than 400 schools throughout the country.

In Texas, the company operates more than 25 campus stores serving schools of every size, from small community colleges to large universities. The company is a "sister" company of Barnes & Noble, Inc., the public company that operates more than 500 book "Superstores" nationwide.

Another "sister" company is barnesandnoble.com,the internet company, which sells books on-line.

For more information, contact the Bookstore at 326.2080 or email bookstore@tamiu.edu

Barnes and Noble Bookstore hours at TAMIU are Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu