First it was Sonoma State University now it is the University of Kentucky.
The family owned and independent Kennedy Book Store has had the contract for the UK Book Store for the last 6 years. Kennedy Book Store has been a “campus mainstay since its was founded in 1950″ by… Joe Kennedy, who remains the company president.”
What the University wants for the right to run the bookstore:
a 10-year lease and $3 million to $4 million toward renovation of the 16,250-square-foot store.
Kennedy offered $2 million and wisely “could not go beyond that given uncertainties that could arise during a 10-year lease”
They are no longer in the running.
Whose left? the Follett Corp. and Barnes & Noble, two of the nation’s largest college textbook corporations.
Follett operates 750 college bookstores
Barnes and Noble operates 570
Kennedy Bookstore operates 1
Let’s see if the the students and faculty can put up a similar fight to the one waged at Sonoma State