Bookstore
From KCpedia
The Kenyon Bookstore opened in 1829, making it the third oldest bookstore, and the oldest continuously-open college bookstore, in the country. Established by college founder Philander Chase, the bookstore began in a log cabin, and, after relocating several times in the course of over a hundred years, moved to its current location next to Farr Hall in 1966. The Kenyon bookstore's diverse selection has been much lauded in national press. In 1984, the book Lisa Birnbach's College Book found the bookstore without equal among other liberal arts colleges. In 1991, the College Store Executive awarded the bookstore first place in a national magazine display contest. Rolling Stone has also recognized Kenyon's bookstore on numerous occasions as the best individual bookstore on a college campus. In the early 1990s, the store earned a write-up in the Wall Street Journal, which called it a "second living room" where students can relax, read, snack, and chat. All profits of the bookstore are put toward scholarships.
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Finefrock's Renovations
Jack Finefrock was hired in 1982 as manager of the Kenyon Bookstore. Finefrock's changes over the past twenty plus years transformed every aspect of the bookstore from layout to merchandise, size, and appearance. Frinefrock has been a popular figure on campus and has taught classes in the past, including Chinese. In 1995 he was given the Senior Cup award by the graduating class, and a 2000 Fortnightly profile estimated that 30 percent of Kenyon students took a class with Finefrock sometime during their four years.
Initial Overhaul
The bookstore's set-up altered dramatically when Jack Finefrock went to work in 1982. Finefrock immediately overhauled and reorganized, changing both the look of the bookstore and the selection. He had brighter lighting installed, painted the walls white, and cleared window areas to brighten the store. Finefrock also installed a new sound system, and afterward began the tradition of playing classical music for shoppers. Finefrock gained a reputation for innovative ideas, and the College Store Executive profiled him in 1984 in an article that detailed how he moved the textbooks to their current locale in the basement. He thus created room for additional merchandise, such as magazines, art supplies, and athletic wear.
Finefrock also brought in chairs and tables for browsers, long before large book establishments like Barnes & Nobles had done so. In December of 1983, Finefrock added the "book castle", still on display, which functions as both shelving space for children's books, and a play area. Soon after, he reduced the prices on best-sellers, records and cassettes, used books, and film. In Finefrock's first year, expenses rose 10%, but the bookstore made a $38,000 profit. Additionally, bookstore hours were expanded, closing at 11 rather than 5, and Finefrock began to handpick books himself, rather than allowing the publishing companies to ship whatever they wished. Another favorite new addition were the unusual toys Finefrock kept on display, and in October 1984 the Mount Vernon News profiled the store's life-size stuffed animal Mollie the calf. Also in 1984, the bookstore began selling personal computers.
Expansion
In February, 1988, Finefrock recommended a 4500 square foot addition, the same size as the main room, be built on stilts over the parking lot of Farr Hall. The addition, after being approved by the College, the Board of Trustees, the Village Council, and the State of Ohio, opened on Thursday, November 11, 1988 at an 11:30 A.M. ceremony. According to the November 18 Kenyon press release, the project was designed by John Reid of Harden & Reid, supervised by A.M. Higley and Company of Cleveland, and the interior constructed by carpenter Jack Esslinger, with help from two alumni, Dirk Felton, '87, and Thomas Mulligan, '88, and two Mount Vernon residents, Lee and Kay Cubie. President Philip Harding Jordan and his wife Sheila G. Jordan cut the ribbon and officially opened the expanded bookstore. Professors Perry Lentz and P.F. Kluge gave brief speeches, and afterward Esslinger made a Kenyon history book the first on the new shelves. This back room was closed temporarily in 1994 when the roof began leaking, but quickly reopened.
Theft Controversy
In February, 1984, $290 was stolen from the bookstore cash register one night, an incident that prompted Finefrock to install more effective security measures over the next few months. These measures were aimed at student shoplifters, to try and curb the amount of revenue lost through theft each year. Students were asked to leave their bags at the front door, an unpopular move said to rob the store of its small-town atmosphere. In late 1984 and early 1985, the Kenyon Collegian published opinion articles about both sides of the issues; some felt the new measures treated students like criminals, others pointed out that curbing shoplifting saves money for everyone.
In 1987, the bookstore began losing money due to increasing shrinkage or money lost on merchandise. Finefrock attributed the increase, which grew over from 1.25 to 3 percent, to shoplifting and lowered prices. In 1989, prices were raised, and more security measures installed. Mirrors, cameras, and undercover bookstore workers all kept an eye on customers. The shrinkage rate decreased to .5 percent, below average. In 1993, the bookstore fell $23,000 short of its projected revenue, and Finefrock installed an electronic eye and beeper system to cut down on CD theft. On September 23, The Kenyon Collegian wrote "Student reaction to the electronic eye has been highly negative" and quoted freshman Genevieve Zweig as saying "The buzzer's annoying and insulting." Finefrock countered, "People hate the buzzer, but it provides an opportunity to talk about the problem."
Recycling Books, Selling Clothes
In 1998, Finefrock responded to complaints about crowding in the bookstore by recycling, rather than selling, used books, and thus reducing inventory. In May 1999, the bookstore opened a bookselling site online and in Fall 2000 added a clothing site to sell Kenyon merchandise. In recent summers, the store has sponsored Employee Appreciation Day, the day employees are given a 30 percent discount on any purchases and a complimentary coffee and muffin. In 2003, a student program called Books Through Bars worked with the bookstore to send books to prisoners.
Recent Changes
In the spring of 2007, Jack Finefrock retired as the manager of the bookstore. The search for a replacement invited proposals for renovations from Follett and Barnes & Noble, which has a college division. After hearing the proposals, Kenyon decided to keep the bookstore under the College's management but to address the concerns revealed in the process. The College plans to spend up to $200,000 for changes over the next year. The most noticeable and immediate change was the relocation of textbooks from the basement to the back of the bookstore. Though it displaced a popular study space, the move allowed students to shop for textbooks in a less-crowded area during regular bookstore hours, rather than restricted textbook department hours. Further, the children's castle, which had been present for more than 20 years, was removed from the bookstore and replaced by a small children's area with seats, a colorful carpet and a play table. Art supplies were moved to the back, with the textbooks; food and toiletries were moved to the former clothing section; and clothes were moved to the front of the store. Other possibilities for the future include incorporating an ice cream shop and bakery unit into the convenience store area.
Resources in the Kenyon College Archives
- Bookstore -- collected materials
