Several members of the Student Government Association protested on Thursday, Oct. 16, against Barnes & Noble’s failure to put International Standard Book Numbers on an IUS Web site.
Two Barnes & Noble representatives spoke to the Faculty Senate on Jan. 17, and said they would work to get the ISBNs on the IUS Bookstore’s Web site for this year. The ISBNs are still unavailable on the Web site.
The protest was the same day a representative from Barnes & Noble, Marcia Stewart, regional manager, spoke at a Faculty Senate meeting.
SGA members encouraged other students to join in the protest by waving signs and chanting outside of University Center North on Oct. 16 before the Faculty Senate meeting.
Flo Gonya, SGA president, said at the SGA meeting on Oct. 16 she thought the protest was a success.
“We got our point across,” Gonya said.
Gonya has been working to get professors to e-mail ISBNs of books for their classes to students since representatives from Barnes & Noble last spoke to the Faculty Senate.
Gonya, who sat in on the Faculty Senate meeting on Oct. 16, said faculty members weren’t sure it was legal to give all of their students the ISBNs of required texts.
Stewart said there wasn’t anything illegal about professors giving ISBNs to students.
Some professors have tried to help students get books from other sources if they so chose.
Jacquelyn Reid, associate professor of nursing, said she tells students the names of her required texts and the authors so students can find the ISBNs online.
“I say you can go anywhere and buy it,” Reid said. “Just because the university has a contract with Barnes & Noble doesn’t mean they have to go to Barnes & Noble.”
Joe Wert, associate professor of political science and Faculty Senate president, said he thought SGA was within their bounds with their protest.
“I think what they’re asking for is reasonable,” Wert said. “Last year, [Barnes & Noble] said this could be done, and it hasn’t been done yet.”
Leigh Viner, philosophy instructor and Faculty Senate member, said she thought the protest was a good thing.
“I’m glad to see the students taking a part in issues that have serious consequences for them,” Viner said.
Marcia Stewart said she thought the protest showed how serious students are about getting ISBNs posted publicly.
“I think it’s great that they have a voice and that they’re involved,” Stewart said.
Stewart said the holdup on posting ISBNs is with contract negotiations with IU Bloomington and doesn’t know what the problem is.
Gonya said at the SGA’s senate meeting that she plans on addressing the issue to IU President Michael McRobbie and the IU Board of Trustees.
By JEROD CLAPP
Senior Editor
jlclapp@ius.edu
