Davenport partners with Akademos to integrate student information systems with the TextbookX bookstore platform for on-campus and online students

Norwalk, CT—Akademos, Inc., a leading provider of integrated online bookstores and marketplaces for educational institutions, announced that Davenport University, a private, non-profit university with campuses across Michigan and online courses serving an enrollment of more than 11,000 students, has joined its list of partner schools.

“Akademos is helping Davenport University fulfill key initiatives to lower instructional material costs and improve services for our students,” said Jaye Lynn Bergers, Director of Bookstore Operations at Davenport University. “The cost of textbooks is an important consideration in student satisfaction, so a move to Akademos’ online bookstore model will help us offer more value to our students. Through the Akademos Marketplace, we are also able to offer many options to meet student preferences, such as new or used textbooks, textbook rentals and eBooks.”

In addition to providing Davenport students a broad selection of lower cost course materials, Davenport University and Akademos will launch a textbook ordering system that seamlessly integrates with Banner, Davenport’s student information system.

“Davenport’s bookstore services support online and in-seat students in a wide range of academic studies. We want to provide the most efficient and cost-effective model whether the student resides next door or across the world,” said Bruce Rentz, Executive Director of Procurement & Auxiliary Services at Davenport University. “In Akademos, we found a partner that can integrate with our existing systems to develop a custom solution for Davenport’s course registration, book ordering and financial aid processing needs.”

Institutions that have advanced technological ecosystems, such as Davenport, are increasingly looking to integrate key academic student functions for a more seamless customer experience. Students will be able to log in to Davenport’s virtual bookstore and view an automatically-generated list of textbooks associated specifically with their registered courses. Real-time financial aid balances will be integrated into the bookstore check-out process. Additionally, kiosks placed throughout Davenport’s campuses will provide on-site service. By improving the delivery of the right course materials at the right prices, Davenport hopes to impact student achievement.

“Larger institutions like Davenport University are recognizing Akademos can help improve student satisfaction and completion through our advanced educational eCommerce platform,” said John Squires, CEO of Akademos. “Our virtual bookstore and integrated marketplace are a good fit for schools with higher enrollments and a growing community of online students.”

Akademos believes that every student has a right to affordable educational materials, and that schools—in order to meet their educational mission and accommodate their students’ preferences—should have new choices in delivering those materials. As such, Akademos’ full-service, online solution delivers tremendous savings on textbooks and other course materials while providing administrators and faculty with critical control over the process.

To learn more about online bookstore service offerings for educational institutions, visit the Akademos website.

About Davenport University

Founded in 1866, Davenport is a private, non-profit university with campuses across Michigan and online courses serving an enrollment of more than 11,000 students. With tuition among the lowest of all private universities in the state, Davenport provides high academic quality, small class sizes, conveniently located campuses, faculty with real-world experience and nearly 50 dynamic undergraduate and graduate programs addressing in-demand careers. More information is available at http://www.davenport.edu.

About Akademos

Akademos offers virtual bookstore services, eLearning solutions, and an innovative textbook marketplace to schools. Its comprehensive supply-chain solution and commitment to responsive personal service make Akademos a leader in providing affordable textbooks and digital learning tools for schools. Students can choose from new, used, rental, and eBook options while schools can reduce costs and increase operating efficiency. Faculty can search, discover and adopt new texts using the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool at http://www.adoption.akademos.com. Akademos delivers the right course materials, at affordable prices, on time. Learn more about Akademos’ direct-to-students ecommerce platform at http://www.textbookx.com and its offerings to partner schools at http://www.akademos.com.

Akademos Releases Results from College CFO Survey on Textbook and Bookstore Services

Norwalk, CT– A majority of college CFOs (89%) confirm that students are increasingly turning away from campus-based bookstores in favor of online, third-party providers that offer textbooks at lower prices, according to a new survey from Akademos, Inc., a leading provider of integrated online bookstores and marketplaces for educational institutions.

Respondents to the 2012-2013 CFO Survey on Textbook Delivery and Bookstore Services, consisting primarily of college CFOs and VPs of Finance, shared information about their current bookstore practices as well as intentions for the future. The topics included online vs. brick-and-mortar bookstores, college bookstore revenue trends, and predictions for the future of textbook sales as part of the college store business model. The survey was open to all executive-level business officers at colleges or universities in the United States and responses were received from approximately 8% of that population.

The business officers surveyed indicated that price is the dominant reason why students bypass the college bookstore (78%), with the belief that students are more inclined to purchase online a distant second (12%). On average, textbooks account for 68% of bookstore sales at the schools that responded. Of those textbook sales, approximately half were new books and one-third were used books, while rentals comprised 14% and eBooks 4%. Survey respondents indicated that more than half (56%) of textbook sales are transacted with financial aid.

Eighty-eight percent of business officers reported that they believe textbook costs impact retention and persistence. Providing students with access to high-quality, low-cost textbooks was ranked by respondents as the most important service institutions can provide regarding the sale of textbooks, followed by ensuring that all students get required textbooks in a timely manner, and providing choices in textbook formats (such as digital, rental, used, etc.).

How are college bookstore textbook sales trending given the tumultuous performance of the general book industry in recent years, including the closings of brick-and-mortar stores and sales declines? Eighty-two percent of respondents indicated textbook sales have been flat or down over the past three years. When asked to make predictions for the future of textbooks as a component of the college bookstore business model, 18% stated they believe textbooks will be sold exclusively in their school’s online bookstore, and 80% believe their school will utilize both an online and brick-and-mortar store.

“Frankly, we’re surprised that only 18% of respondents predict their textbooks will be provided exclusively in an online bookstore in the future. We believe this percentage will increase in the coming years as administrators realize the cost of providing textbooks through brick-and-mortar stores is not sustainable without passing increased financial burdens onto students,” said John Squires, CEO of Akademos. “College CFOs are increasingly understanding that they must focus on both the quality and the value of the services their bookstores provide—especially given that textbook costs have a significant impact on student performance.”

To view a copy of the 2012-2013 College CFO Survey on Textbook Delivery and Bookstore Services, visit the Akademos resources page.

Akademos believes every student should have access to high-quality, low-cost textbooks. To learn more about online bookstore service offerings for educational institutions, visit the Akademos website.

About Akademos

Akademos offers virtual bookstore services, eLearning solutions, and an innovative textbook marketplace to schools. Its comprehensive supply-chain solution and commitment to responsive personal service make Akademos a leader in providing affordable textbooks and digital learning tools for schools. Students can choose from new, used, rental, and eBook options while schools can reduce costs and increase operating efficiency. Faculty can search, discover and adopt new texts using the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool at http://www.adoption.akademos.com. Akademos delivers the right course materials, at affordable prices, on time. Learn more about Akademos’ direct-to-students ecommerce platform at http://www.textbookx.com and its offerings to partner schools at http://www.akademos.com.

Leading provider of online bookstores releases Textbook Affordability Index (AI)^SM by college to help educators and students evaluate the impact of course material costs on higher education

Norwalk, CT—For the first time ever, 1,500 U.S. colleges and universities have been rated by the affordability of their textbooks. Akademos, Inc., a leading provider of integrated online bookstores and marketplaces for educational institutions, has created a Textbook Affordability Index that ranks institutions according to the affordability of their course materials by subject matter and among peer schools.

The Textbook AI by college is a new feature of the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool released last year that provides faculty key metrics to compare the quality and cost of textbooks across 3,600 subject areas. The Textbook AI not only features an overall ranking of colleges and universities according to the affordability of their textbooks, it also compares peer schools such as Ivy Leagues, popular NCAA conferences, and business, medical, nursing and law schools. Institutions that graduate students with the most debt were also ranked in comparison to one another.

“We know quality must come first in a professor’s decision to adopt a textbook,” said John Squires, Akademos CEO, “but there are many high-quality, low-cost texts as yet undiscovered by faculty. We hope these college rankings will bring greater attention to the textbook selection process. And with resources like the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool, it’s easier for instructors to discover and evaluate new textbooks that meet their instructional standards at a lower cost to students.”

The best-ranked school among 1,500 colleges measured was Essex County College, a two-year public institution with an enrollment of approximately 12,500 students in Newark, NJ.

When compared among popular peers, the following schools received top ranking for the affordability of their course materials:

• Largest Colleges – The University of Florida
• Largest Community Colleges – Pasadena City College
• Ivy Leagues – Dartmouth College
• Little Ivies – Vassar College
• Nursing Schools – Yale University
• Medical Schools, Primary Care – University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Law Schools – University of Chicago
• Historically Black Colleges & Universities – Morehouse College
• Christian Colleges – Calvin College

“Our textbook affordability rankings complement the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency initiative highlighted in the President’s most recent State of the Union address,” said Ingrid Ramos Nakamura, vice president of marketing for Akademos. “Several stakeholders including students, parents, colleges and organizations serving them agree there is a critical need to bring clarity to measuring college affordability. Schools and their faculty want resources that can help them make better decisions about the textbooks they adopt so that they can deliver on the value of higher education.”

The Textbook Affordability Index by college is a feature within the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool that ranks schools by the affordability of their course materials. Institutions with enough data on their courses and corresponding textbooks were ranked according to a propriety algorithm that weighs affordability on a scale of 0 to 5, with 5 representing the most affordable materials. Scores take into account median prices and purchase patterns of new, used, rental and digital course materials, and the scores are used to rank schools in order of the affordability of their adopted texts. It is the only adoption tool that includes texts from commercial publishers and well as Open Educational Resource providers. Faculty can search, discover, compare and adopt textbooks and ancillary materials, as well as sort by affordability, number of adoptions, and instructor ratings. The tool also collects instructor reviews and helps schools maintain HEOA compliance.

To see the complete list of best-rated institutions for textbook affordability, including peer group comparisons, visit the Textbook AI by college page of the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool.

Akademos believes every student should have access to high quality, low-cost textbooks. To learn more about our online bookstore service offerings for educational institutions, visit the Akademos website or sign up for the Akademos newsletter.

About Akademos

Akademos offers virtual bookstore services, eLearning solutions, and an innovative textbook marketplace to schools. Its comprehensive supply-chain solution and commitment to responsive personal service make Akademos a leader in providing affordable textbooks and digital learning tools for schools. Students can choose from new, used, rental, and eBook options while schools can reduce costs and increase operating efficiency. Faculty can search, discover and adopt new texts using the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool at http://www.adoption.akademos.com. Akademos delivers the right course materials, at affordable prices, on time. Learn more about Akademos’ direct-to-students ecommerce platform at http://www.textbookx.com and its offerings to partner schools at http://www.akademos.com.

Online Bookstore Services Provide a Natural Fit for the 100% Online Public University

Norwalk, CT— Akademos, Inc., a leading provider of integrated online bookstores and marketplaces for educational institutions, announced today that Colorado State University-Global Campus (CSU-Global), the first and only 100% online, fully accredited public university in the United States, has joined its list of partner schools.

“Signing with Akademos is right in line with a key part of our mission to make the cost of an education more transparent,” stated Gus Skinner, vice president of finance for CSU-Global. “We guarantee a fixed tuition. We don’t assess added student fees. And now we will offer students a textbook delivery platform with more competitive course material prices, helping reduce the total cost of completing a course or program at CSU-Global.”

A recent survey from the Babson Survey Research Group and the College Board reveals that the number of students taking at least one online course has now surpassed 6.7 million. That number is projected to increase as both the popularity of online courses and the need to retrain the country’s workforce rises. CSU-Global currently has 7,000 active students, including more than1,000 U.S. military members, veterans, and dependants worldwide.

“We’re rapidly growing our list of online colleges and online college programs, and we’re delighted to add CSU-Global,” said John Squires, chief executive officer of Akademos. “We believe schools that move to 100% online service for the delivery of textbooks, eBooks and other course materials can improve student outcomes and dramatically lower costs for their students. Online schools already understand that model given their successes in online course delivery.”

To learn more about online bookstore service offerings for educational institutions, visit the Akademos website or sign up for the Akademos newsletter.

About Colorado State University-Global Campus

Colorado State University-Global Campus (CSU-Global) offers career relevant online bachelor’s degree completion and master’s degree programs for working adults and nontraditional learners. As the first and only 100% online, fully accredited public university in the United States, CSU-Global is focused on student success as its number one priority. Embracing the land grant heritage as part of the Colorado State University System, CSU-Global sets the standard for quality and innovation in higher education through its expert faculty who are recognized as industry leaders and trained in working with adults in an online learning environment. CSU-Global offers a streamlined enrollment process with accelerated eight week courses that start every four weeks. Visit http://CSUGlobal.edu or call 1-800-920-6723 for more information.

About Akademos

Akademos offers virtual bookstore services, eLearning solutions, and an innovative textbook marketplace to schools. Its comprehensive supply-chain solution and commitment to responsive personal service make Akademos a leader in providing affordable textbooks and digital learning tools for schools. Students can choose from new, used, rental, and eBook options while schools can reduce costs and increase operating efficiency. Faculty can search, discover and adopt new texts using the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool at http://www.adoption.akademos.com. Akademos delivers the right course materials, at affordable prices, on time. Learn more about Akademos’ direct-to-students ecommerce platform at http://www.textbookx.com and its offerings to partner schools at http://www.akademos.com.

OERs Transitioning to Next Phase of Development

Norwalk, CT—Akademos, Inc., a leading provider of online bookstores and marketplaces to academic institutions, announced today that its founder and president, Dr. Brian Jacobs, will launch an independent company focused on the growing area of Open Educational Resources (OERs).

“Like Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, Open Educational Resources are part of a systematic rethinking of the way academic institutions produce and disseminate domain knowledge,” said Dr. Jacobs. “To date, however, the OER movement has lacked the appropriate platform to support the transformation, and this is what the new company will address.”

The company will focus on creating a formal framework through which academic institutions of all kinds can curate, adapt, and teach with open source materials. “The OER movement has developed in distinct phases,” Dr. Jacobs noted, “the first phase was a period of enthusiasm, especially at MIT and Rice University where the first OER repositories were located. The second phase was the introduction of high-quality materials, especially through Open Stax College based at Rice University. The new company will help bring to fruition the vital third phase: the formalization of OER.”

Dr. Jacobs will remain Chairman of the Akademos Board of Directors while he pursues his new venture, continuing to support and advise the company in that capacity. “In many ways, Akademos is only now beginning to realize its great potential,” Dr. Jacobs noted, “and I believe that under the continued leadership of CEO John Squires, we’ll see extraordinary growth and development in the company. I’ll certainly be there to support his efforts in any way that I can.”

“We’re excited to see Brian launch his new business and look forward to working closely with him in the future,” added Akademos CEO, John Squires. “OER content is certainly a keen area of interest for Akademos partner schools, and we’re delighted that Brian will be working with us to deepen our resources in this area.”

Dr. Jacobs leaves his operating role at Akademos during a time of significant expansion, as many larger schools consider how they can provide the student value and comprehensive faculty tools for online textbook delivery that Akademos now delivers to more than 100 schools.

Akademos believes that every student has a right to affordable educational materials, and that schools need an advanced materials-platform and marketplace to provide superior service and meet their educational missions. Akademos’ full-service, online solution delivers tremendous savings on textbooks and other course materials while providing administrators and faculty with critical control over the process.

For more information about Dr. Jacobs’ new venture, sign up for alerts. To learn more about online bookstore service offerings for educational institutions, visit the Akademos website.

About Akademos

Akademos offers virtual bookstore services, eLearning solutions, and an innovative textbook marketplace to schools. Its comprehensive supply-chain solution and commitment to responsive personal service make Akademos a leader in providing affordable textbooks and digital learning tools for schools. Students can choose from new, used, rental, and eBook options while schools can reduce costs and increase operating efficiency. Faculty can search, discover and adopt new texts using the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool at http://www.adoption.akademos.com. Akademos delivers the right course materials, at affordable prices, on time. Learn more about Akademos’ direct-to-students ecommerce platform at http://www.textbookx.com and its offerings to partner schools at http://www.akademos.com.

Growing List of Psychology Schools Deploying TextbookX Bookstores Hosted by Akademos

Norwalk, CT- Akademos, Inc., a leading provider of integrated online bookstores and marketplaces for educational institutions, announced that The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP), a nonprofit graduate school, has joined its list of partner schools.

Institutions with a wide variety of psychology degrees and coursework are increasingly turning to virtual bookstores to streamline textbook purchases for their students. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for psychologists is expected to grow 22 percent, faster than the average for all occupations, with greater demand in schools, hospitals, mental health centers, and social services agencies. Coursework content is specialized, and by moving to an online bookstore model, more affordable textbook costs can help reduce expenses for prospective and current students.

“In partnering with Akademos, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is looking to create an environment where our students can access high quality course materials at affordable prices,” said Rich Chandler, director of business services at TCSPP. “As part of our mission, we are committed to providing our students extensive options to customize their coursework, and giving them access to a large inventory of new, used, and digital textbooks that can be purchased with financial aid complements that goal.”

The Chicago School joins Akademos’ list of partner schools with a strong focus on Psychology programs and that have implemented online bookstores.

“We know that textbooks and other course materials in mental health studies can be cost-prohibitive for some students,” said John Squires, chief executive officer of Akademos. “Given the increasing need for job applicants in these fields, if we can help our clients attract and retain more qualified and passionate students by improving access to low-cost textbooks, we think that is the right call for bettering economic and social outlooks in this country.”

Akademos believes that every student has a right to affordable educational materials, and that schools—in order to meet their educational mission and accommodate their students’ preferences—should have new choices in delivering those materials. As such, Akademos’ full-service, online solution delivers tremendous savings on textbooks and other course materials while providing administrators and faculty with critical control over the process.

To learn more about online bookstore service offerings for educational institutions, visit the Akademos website.

About The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Founded in 1979, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) is a nonprofit, private graduate school devoted exclusively to psychology and related behavioral sciences. It serves more than 4,300 students across campuses in Chicago; Southern California (L.A., Irvine, Westwood); and Washington D.C.as well as online/blended programs. The institution is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and its Clinical Psychology doctoral program in Chicago is accredited by the American Psychological Association. A member of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology, TCSPP is recognized for its distinguished service and outstanding contributions to cultural diversity and advocacy. The community service initiatives on the Chicago campus have also earned recognition on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for five consecutive years. With more than 20 graduate degree programs, thousands of hours of real-world training, and a wealth of international opportunities, TCSPP is a leader in professional psychology education. To learn more, visit www.thechicagoschool.edu.

About Akademos

Akademos offers virtual bookstore services, eLearning solutions, and an innovative textbook marketplace to schools. Its comprehensive supply-chain solution and commitment to responsive personal service make Akademos a leader in providing affordable textbooks and digital learning tools for schools. Students can choose from new, used, rental, and eBook options while schools can reduce costs and increase operating efficiency. Faculty can search, discover and adopt new texts using the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool at http://www.adoption.akademos.com. Akademos delivers the right course materials, at affordable prices, on time. Learn more about Akademos’ direct-to-students ecommerce platform at http://www.textbookx.com and its offerings to partner schools at http://www.akademos.com.

Online College Bookstore Retailer Uses Extensive Inventory and 3rd Party Marketplace to Help Reduce Textbook Costs for Students

Norwalk, CT- Akademos, Inc., a leading provider of integrated online bookstores and marketplaces for educational institutions, announced today that it has saved college students over $46 million dollars on the cost of textbooks.

Course materials costs, along with tuition, can be an obstacle to retention and persistence in degree-seeking students. And the high costs of providing textbooks in school stores are a factor in student performance. Schools that sell textbooks in an online bookstore are often able to save money on the operational expenses of running a brick and mortar bookstore. Thus, schools with online textbook stores are in a better position to pass those savings onto students, helping to make quality course materials more affordable.

Akademos helps colleges, universities, and their students by increasing the availability of used books, facilitating the adoption of digital and eBooks, and making the textbook ordering process easy and error-free. Its continuous efforts to increase diversity of formats and overall quantity of textbooks, including launching its popular textbook rental program, has resulted in one of the biggest textbook marketplaces for colleges and their students. Students can take advantage of free shipping offers on textbooks, use their financial aid to purchase textbooks online through partner institution websites, and sell textbooks back at anytime of the year, not just during traditional school buy-buy periods. And Akademos’ growing list of participating schools nationwide receive the added benefit of customized and integrated bookstores.

Akademos’ Marketplace for low cost textbooks, located on TextbookX.com, has served hundreds of colleges and universities as well as hundreds of thousands of college students. TextbookX has exponentially saved students from every state in the US more as it grows its inventory, and its list of 3rd party marketplace sellers—in many cases, the same textbook sellers as on sites like Amazon.

Akademos is proud to share that it has saved students an average of 56% off the list price of textbooks over the course of the company’s lifetime. That amounts to a savings of over $46 Million off textbooks for students.

To put those textbooks savings into perspective, the amount of money Akademos has helped save students through its TextbookX website could:

•     Send 629 students to Harvard University and pay for four years of tuition
•     Help 2,392 students get their associates degree at Miami-Dade College in Florida, one of the largest community college systems in the United States
•     Buy a Dell laptop for 115,000 college students

Akademos believes that every student has a right to affordable educational materials, and that schools—in order to meet their educational mission and accommodate their students’ preferences—should have new choices in delivering those materials. As such, Akademos’ full-service, online solution delivers tremendous savings on textbooks and other course materials while providing administrators and faculty with critical control over the process.

To learn more about Akademos’ online bookstore service offerings for educational institutions, visit the Akademos website. To learn more about Akademos’ direct-to-student website visit the TextbookX site.

About Akademos
Akademos offers virtual bookstore services, eLearning solutions, and an innovative textbook marketplace to schools. Its comprehensive supply-chain solution and commitment to responsive personal service make Akademos a leader in providing affordable textbooks and digital learning tools for schools. Students can choose from new, used, rental, and eBook options while schools can reduce costs and increase operating efficiency. Faculty can search, discover and adopt new texts using the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool at http://www.adoption.akademos.com. Akademos delivers the right course materials, at affordable prices, on time. Learn more about Akademos’ direct-to-students ecommerce platform at http://www.textbookx.com and its offerings to partner schools at http://www.akademos.com.

Interns from Northland College, Wisconsin Lutheran College and Central Bible College are Awarded Bonuses and Textbook Scholarships

Akademos, Inc., a leading provider of integrated online bookstores and marketplaces for educational institutions, announced the winners of the Akademos-TextbookX Intern Awards for effectiveness in marketing their college or university bookstore to other students.

Akademos has recognized Katy Zart from Northland College, Andrew Behnke from Wisconsin Lutheran College and Jonathan Kissinger from Central Bible College for their extraordinary work in marketing the organization’s online bookstore.

Each has received a bonus (in addition to their already paid internship) and a textbook scholarship to apply towards purchasing course materials for Spring 2013.

In Fall 2012, Akademos implemented an internship pilot program at 18 schools nationwide. The interns at these schools marketed their institution’s online bookstore by working with administrators on campus to create and/or disseminate marketing materials. The interns’ grassroots marketing efforts helped spread the word to fellow students about the enormous textbooks savings available on their school’s online bookstore and marketplace, with the goal of making college textbooks more affordable.

Northland College’s Katy Zart was named the “hardest working” intern for going above and beyond her duties as an intern this semester. Not only did she help distribute the marketing materials Akademos provided to her, but she created her own unique marketing materials to fit the needs of Northland students and faculty. She constructed multiple webpages about the Online Bookstore on Northland’s .edu website. Katy also attended orientation and on-campus registration events, sent emails to both students and faculty, posted on social media sites, and conducted research for a case study. Katy, along with Jess Wildes, Northland’s Assistant Director of Recruitment Marketing, were instrumental in making their textbook program a success. Their efforts helped Northland students and staff with two missions—save money on course materials, and reduce their carbon footprint by implementing and encouraging sustainable bookstore practices.

Andrew Behnke, a student at Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC), was coined Akademos’ “most effective” intern. Andrew increased traffic to the Online Bookstore, increasing the number of books students purchased at a discounted rate as compared to Fall 2011. Andrew reached out to both faculty and students through multiple avenues—he sent emails, attended events, and distributed materials around campus. Total orders increased in large part due to Andrew, as well as Kyle Edlhuber, WLC’s Campus Shop and Merchandise Manager. Their efforts helped students at Wisconsin Lutheran College save an average of 70% off the textbook list price through shopping on the marketplace.

The “most creative” intern award was given to Jonathan Kissinger of Central Bible College (CBC). Jonathan knew that in order to effectively reach out to students and faculty about the Online Bookstore, he had to think outside the box. He worked with Rick Miller, CBC’s Executive Director of Campus Services, to make an announcement at mandatory morning chapel services. Additionally, Jonathan distributed marketing materials at a well-attended faculty-student softball game. Jonathan also placed a banner link on the school’s website which increased referral traffic. His unique and engaging ideas went a long way in making the internship program at CBC a success.

“We would like to thank all of this year’s interns for their commitment and enthusiasm,” said Jen Slemp, marketing manager at Akademos. “The intern program is a great way for our students to get real world business experience while helping their fellow students save money on college textbooks.”

Students attending Akademos partner institutions can apply for next year’s internship by submitting a cover letter and resume via TextbookX.com— http://www.textbookx.com/emailus.php.

To learn more about Akademos’ online bookstore service offerings for educational institutions, visit the Akademos website.

About Akademos
Akademos offers virtual bookstore services, eLearning solutions, and an innovative textbook marketplace to schools. Its comprehensive supply-chain solution and commitment to responsive personal service make Akademos a leader in providing affordable textbooks and digital learning tools for schools. Students can choose from new, used, rental, and eBook options while schools can reduce costs and increase operating efficiency. Faculty can search, discover and adopt new texts using the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool at http://www.adoption.akademos.com. Akademos delivers the right course materials, at affordable prices, on time. Learn more about Akademos’ direct-to-students ecommerce platform at http://www.textbookx.com and its offerings to partner schools at http://www.akademos.com.

Virtual Bookstore Services Provider Akademos Releases Summary of Student Textbook Sales and College Bookstore Revenue Trends

Norwalk, CT– Digital textbooks have yet to reach critical adoption, however, data from Akademos, a leading provider of integrated online bookstores and marketplaces for educational institutions, shows a trend in that direction.

“I’m often asked by educators about eBook trends,” says John Squires, chief executive officer at Akademos. “They want to know when digital textbooks are going to reach critical adoption. While we’ve seen an increase of more than 300% in eBook purchases over the last three years, eBooks still remain less than 5% of our overall textbook sales.”

The data represents buying trends of Akademos’ partner schools as well as students via its direct-to-customer website, TextbookX, over the last three years. Key data points are as follows:

• Used book purchases as a percentage of total sales remain steady, while new book purchases continue to decline as a percentage of total sales. Rental and eBook purchases appear to be cannibalizing new book sales.

• Student purchases of eBooks have historically spiked deep into the Spring term, reaching their highest percentage of total book sales. This might suggest that students are purchasing digital textbooks late, for example in time for finals; or, that Summer term students are more likely to purchase eBooks than students of other terms.

• Thirty five percent of student purchases utilized financial aid during the Fall 2012 book ordering rush, unchanged from the prior year.

• Customized course materials (CoursePacks), which allow professors to select just the materials relevant to that course and combine them in a booklet, are up 47% over the Fall 2011 rush period. CoursePacks provide savings to students by reducing the number of textbooks they would need to purchase, particularly when only a portion of those texts would be covered in a course. Additionally, Akademos provides the copyright clearances, making it easier for institutions to offer students a customized alternative solution to a number of expensive textbooks.

“While students do have some control over which books they buy and from where, our hope is that faculty, college CFO’s, and other administrators will help increase buying options for their students, thereby decreasing course materials costs,” said Ingrid Ramos Nakamura, vice president of marketing at Akademos. “We believe increases in eBook purchases and custom CoursePack usage, as well as decreases in new book purchases, all point to an important trend–colleges and universities are increasingly forgoing textbook revenue in favor of passing those savings onto their students and improving key educational outcomes.”

To receive alerts about the Akademos-TextbookX Trends Report and other course material updates, sign up for the Akademos newsletter.

About Akademos

Akademos offers virtual bookstore services, eLearning solutions, and an innovative textbook marketplace to schools. Its comprehensive supply-chain solution and commitment to responsive personal service make Akademos a leader in providing affordable textbooks and digital learning tools for schools. Students can choose from new, used, rental, and eBook options while schools can reduce costs and increase operating efficiency. Faculty can search, discover and adopt new texts using the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool at http://www.adoption.akademos.com. Akademos delivers the right course materials, at affordable prices, on time. Learn more about Akademos’ direct-to-students ecommerce platform at http://www.textbookx.com and its offerings to partner schools at http://www.akademos.com.

Bradford Union Area Career Technical Center and Withlacoochee Technical Institute Launch Online Bookstores Hosted by Akademos

Akademos, Inc., a leading provider of integrated online bookstores and marketplaces for educational institutions, announced at the Association of Florida Colleges convention that Bradford Union Area Career Technical Center and Withlacoochee Technical Institute have signed on as new clients.

Joining the growing list of Florida-based technical colleges that are embracing turnkey virtual bookstores, both schools cited reducing textbook costs for students as a key driver for the change. Additional benefits sought in the transition from brick-and-mortar to online bookstore include increased flexibility, improved efficiency, and reduced overhead costs, especially those costs associated with managing a physical, on-campus bookstore.

“Akademos provides us with an easy-to-implement option to ensure our students have access to the right course materials,” said Christy Reddish, director of the Bradford Union Area Career Technical Center. “As such, we are able to keep our overhead costs down while also meeting students’ needs when it comes to course material selection and price.”

The following are technical colleges and career centers in Florida that have implemented online bookstores from Akademos:

•     Bradford Union Area Career Technical Center
•     Withlacoochee Technical Institute
•     Lake Technical Center
•     Charlotte Technical Center
•     Ridge Career Center
•     Traviss Career Center
•     Immokalee Technical Center
•     Lee County High Tech Center North
•     Fort Myers Institute of Technology

“We focus on providing the right training to help our students gain real career opportunities, thus it is critical for us to offer better access to course materials in a variety of formats and prices,” said Denise Willis, director of the Withlacoochee Technical Institute. “By partnering with Akademos, we are able to better serve our students and achieve our academic mission.”

Like many public colleges in the nation, Florida schools are seeking ways to improve completion rates. By keeping the cost of tuition and course materials low, students are given a better opportunity to persist toward a certificate or degree. Florida technical schools’ course offerings serve a range of students, and include GED programs for those that have not completed high school, as well as training programs for adults re-entering the workforce or changing careers.

“Some textbooks can cost students more than the course itself. By offering students more choices and lower cost options for their course materials inventory, our roster of Florida technical colleges are doing their part to reduce student debt and improve the chances of long term, successful career placement,” said Brian Jacobs, founder and president of Akademos.

Akademos believes that every student has a right to affordable educational materials, and that schools—in order to meet their educational mission and accommodate their students’ preferences—should have new choices in delivering those materials. As such, Akademos’ full-service, online solution delivers tremendous savings on textbooks and other course materials while providing administrators and faculty with critical control over the process.

To learn more about online bookstore service offerings for educational institutions, visit the Akademos website.

About Akademos
Akademos offers a turnkey virtual bookstore and marketplace. Its advanced technology, comprehensive supply-chain solution, and commitment to responsive personal service make it a leader in providing affordable course materials and digital learning tools for schools. Students can choose new, used, marketplace, rental, and eBooks while schools can reduce costs and enjoy greater operating efficiency. Faculty can search, discover and adopt new texts using the Akademos Textbook Adoption Tool, which can be accessed at http://www.adoption.akademos.com. Akademos delivers the right course materials, at an affordable price, on time. Learn more at http://www.Akademos.com and http://www.textbookx.com.