Brand New Bookstore: It Really Is All Here

Montclair State University bookstore. Photo by Angela Romano

A room pouring in red and grey is located at the bottom floor of the Student Center. The Montclair State University bookstore was renovated over the summer and looks better than ever.

Anything that a person needs on campus can be found there. From Montclair State apparel, school supplies and textbooks to gifts and collectibles and technology.

“I love the new renovation,” said Sal Bellomo, senior communication and media arts major, as he wears his favorite black Montclair State fleece he bought last year.

Every piece of apparel is available from the usual sweatshirts and t-shirts to polo shirts, rompers and even baby clothes. Clothing is available in school colors, red and grey, plus some black and white thrown in. There are tons of accessories to choose from; lanyards, hats and sunglasses. The sunglass rack is packed with every color and shape to cater each style and taste.

Items for all seasons are available to represent the university all year round. Shorts and tank tops for the suns out guns out weather and fleece pullovers and hats for the colder weather. Montclair State active wear is also at the store. Scarves and fuzzy sock weather is upon Montclair.

The college is not just represented in apparel. Tons of Montclair State notebooks, folders, agendas, pens and so many other school supplies are must need products. There are even beverage containers and car plates. The shot glasses, shooters, mason jars, coffee cups, and wine glasses have the university’s logo and name on it. The school even has its own chapstick.

Montclair wear is worn among campus quite frequently, but not on everyone. Rachael Ciccone, senior public relations major, loves her grey Montclair State sweatpants, but feels the prices are too high. “There’s a lot, but mostly expensive stuff and not enough cheap tees,” she said.

Beyond the many racks of school spirit are shelves of textbooks for classes. Professors can list books needed for class on NEST and students purchase them. If the book is not available in the store, they can do an online pickup. At the end of the semester, books can be sold back to the bookstore too.

Not everyone uses this service for price and time reasons. Ciccone and Bellomo use Amazon or Chegg for textbooks. They go to the bookstore for clothes and notebooks.

Popular titles for pleasure reading are there as well. Twilight, Hilary Clinton’s Hard Choices, Paper Towns, and 50 Shades od Grey just to name a few. Children’s book are on the shelves on the other side.

A’lexus Thierry senior biology major and employee at the university bookstore. She’s seen positive feedback from people on campus to the new look. “There is more room for books and merch,” she said. Prior to the renovation, Ciccone said the store was too cluttered.

But the university bookstore is much more than just a place for apparel and book needs.

Pop culture calendar themes like Doctor Who and Vampire Diaries. Animal too.

Vera Bradley section has great selections of bags, stationary products, beverage containers, and umbrellas.

There are shelves with random but helpful house, hygiene and cleaning products that would not be expected to be in a bookstore. Everyone needs toilet paper, Lysol wipes, Purell, toothbrushes, cough drops, and pain relievers. Elf makeup products even has its own rack with eye shadows and mascara. The shelf also has feminine items and nail filers.

Most students walk to class with ear-buds or headphones in and have speaker systems in their dorms. Technology like this can be bought at the store from brand names like Beats, Logi-tech, and Skull Candy.

Other miscellaneous things inside the store are grey yoga matts and gift cards from various places on and off campus. Star Wars even gets its own table with cups, figurines and collectibles, and books.

The bookstore hours are Monday to Thursday 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. until 2p.m. and closed on Sunday. The website link is http://www.bkstr.com/montclairstatestore/home/en?cm_mmc=Redirect-_-VanityURL-_-montclair.bkstr.com-_-10415.