The Texas A&M University-San Antonio bookstore reopened on July 1 under Follett management, the Mesquite News reported. Although the store has reopened, contract negotiations between the university and Follett are ongoing, and, so far, very little has actually changed in the bookstore. All six bookstore employees have retained their jobs.
In response to questions about what Follett has planned for the store, manager Christa Cooper told Mesquite News: "I honestly do not have any answers currently to that question, as I do not know. So we're just kind of basically going through the process day-by-day as it goes on."
According to Daniel Garza, Texas A&M-San Antonio's director of procurement and auxiliary services, Follett should be funding a renovation of the store's entrance area, though that has not been finalized.
The store had previously partnered with Barnes & Noble. At the beginning of 2019 spring semester, Texas A&M-San Antonio joined several other Texas A&M campuses in a request for proposals, and received bids from B&N, Follett and Texas Book Company.
Johnny Guevara, Texas A&M-San Antonio's assistant director of auxiliary services, said Follett won out because of its "revenue compensation, oral presentation, as well as the ability to provide the highest quality of service."