With more classes being held in-person and the announcement of Fresno City College offering $250 bookstore vouchers being offered to vaccinated students, FCC’s bookstore has seen a surge of traffic these past few weeks. 

Bookstore Manager, Paul Klays, described the first week of the bookstore as “very hectic,” with long lines and high levels of student traffic.

As a result of the influx of students coming in, Klays said the bookstore has been suffering from a shortage of supplies since the first week of the semester. 

Klays strongly believes that the $250 bookstore vouchers have changed students’ buying patterns. Thus, causing a shortage.

Students usually purchase their books and supplies through various outlets like Amazon and Wal-Mart but now that they have the voucher they are buying their books from the campus bookstore which Klays said is, ”abnormal.”

Klays said the bookstore is now working hard to get books and other supplies back in stock, using expedited shipping to ensure they get here as quickly as possible.

Since students are now depending on the bookstore for their books and school supplies, it makes whether or not certain items are in stock crucial. 

FCC student Kiernan Hieburt is a regular at the bookstore and is in there pretty much everyday. 

Though he praises the staff’s friendliness and speedy service, he wishes for them to be more consistent with keeping their supplies in stock. 

He blames the shortage on the large amounts of students visiting the store daily. 

“A lot of students are coming in here and taking everything. If something is not available, people are missing out,” he said.

 While some have found the scarcity of stock frustrating, others students, like FCC student David Savath, seem to be getting by just fine. 

Savath said he has not experienced any issues with the bookstore

Given the large number of students visiting, Klays said the bookstore and its staff are still focused on cleanliness of the store and are very conscious of the campus rules. 

While students are no longer required to keep their distance from each other, they are still required to wear masks. 

Staff will also hold up the line at the store entrance, if the bookstore gets overwhelmed with students.

The bookstore is currently open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.