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Published September 10, 2007

By Suzanne Lunden

The newly expanded bookstore is truly a site to behold – that is, it will be once the clamoring mob of anxious freshmen and irritated upperclassmen clears out and you actually can behold it. Soon enough, you will be able to appreciate the two full floors of merchandise: the bottom floor is entirely devoted to textbooks, while the upper floor showcases a brilliant array of old staples plus new and unusual items.

In just a few steps you can grab an eco-friendly notebook, that Universitas Viridis Montis-embossed marble apple you’ve really been hankering for (a steal at $27.95), and a UVM planner, which includes among other informative tidbits a guide to cardio workouts (an entirely superfluous addition in my opinion, given the number of stairs you need scale just to purchase the planner).

For the moment, the top floor is the only way to access the textbook basement without making a return – a heads up for those of you not looking for that extra cardio.

The new bookstore also features a wider array of books, including an impressive cookbook section, a travel section (Belize? New York? Atlanta? New York?), and a downright overwhelming display of Vermont and New England foliage books, tastefully accented with little glass leafs of maple syrup ($3.10).

Rather awkwardly unpacked in the middle of the upper store is a small yet cumbersome assortment of dorm room essentials: pop-up laundry baskets, flip-flops, etc. I’m personally hoping that this area take a step up in the future. Currently neglected necessities (hello, loofahs?) would be a welcome addition. Barring an improved inventory, I would request a display devoted entirely to the “UVM Football: Undefeated Since 1974” product or a fish tank for flair.

Henderson’s – a café serving Vermont Artisan coffee, tea, and specialty espresso drinks- is a welcoming presence. The Mane’s Blend coffee – named for the owner of the coffee company and not, as I originally thought, a confounding catamount reference – was excellent, especially with the free shot of hazelnut and the $1.10 price tag (yes, ten cents cheaper than the advertised price!).

Henderson’s takes cash and plastic ( Cat$cratch and debit/credit) but not meal points and offers a discount if you bring your own mug.

The café is flanked by those familiar and cozy Panera-inspired chairs found throughout the Davis Center, creating the perfect space for sipping a Maple Madness and catching up on your US Weekly between classes.

Another welcoming presence in the bookstore is the “security” workers. They may apologetically request that you leave your backpacks at the door and chastise you for carrying your Amazon-purchased textbooks (sans receipt). However, they will also listen, with cross-armed sympathy, to your breathless complaints about being barred direct access to the textbook basement and the long lines at New World Tortilla. So, be nice to Richard, Ralph and all of the staff, they’ll guard your stuff with a keen eye and an open heart.

If chatting up security guards and admiring embossed apples just isn’t your thing, the lines move surprisingly quickly so you’ll be out of there in no time.

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