UMPI partners with virtual bookstore

5 years ago

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Officials with the University of Maine at Presque Isle have announced that the campus is partnering with eCampus.com Virtual Bookstores in providing greater student access to affordable course materials.

Located in Lexington, Kentucky, eCampus.com is a premier online retailer of course materials and digital content with a mission to provide the easiest, fastest and most affordable way for high school, college, and university students to buy, rent, and sell textbooks and access digital content. The company serves more than 250 colleges and universities.

“UMPI is looking forward to working with eCampus.com,” said Lydia Kieffer-Till, UMPI Campus Center director. “The staff has been helpful, knowledgeable, and responsive. eCampus offers an easy-to-use platform, affordable textbook options, and free shipping for our students. The changes will also ease the entire submission and ordering process for our faculty. We are excited about a new, efficient tool to offer the UMPI community.”  

UMPI is the fifth University of Maine System campus to use the retailer, which the system selected through a competitive proposal process. The partnership allows any campus in the system to  participate; the Farmington, Southern Maine, Machias and Fort Kent campuses already use the service.

Through the partnership, UMPI students will obtain course materials at a significantly reduced cost, with a streamlined ordering process. Students can save up to 70 percent off publisher list prices, aligning with the university’s commitment to an exceptional education at an affordable price. Students can purchase new, used, rental and eTextbooks, with access to an expansive network of third-party marketplace sellers.

The eCampus.com platform allows students to immediately see a listing of required textbooks upon registering for their courses and ensures they receive the correct edition and format for each course. It includes single sign-on functionality, a robust registration integration, an online adoption tool for faculty, and a customer service team that eCampus.com officials say reflects the company’s commitment to providing a streamlined and reliable bookstore solution for students.

“eCampus.com is thrilled to be partnering with the University of Maine at Presque Isle to help them improve textbook affordability through an innovative virtual bookstore solution,” said Matt Montgomery, eCampus.com president and CEO. “We are already making a significant impact with four additional campuses in the University of Maine System and applaud UMPI for recognizing the evolving textbook market.

“Together, we will meet the needs of UMPI students through a customized online platform that aligns with the institution’s commitment to an affordable education that exceeds expectations,” Montgomery said.

The eCampus store will take over as the exclusive bookstore for UMPI beginning in fall 2019.

For more information visit http://ecampuscms.com.

Submitted by the Community and Media Relations Office of the University of Maine at Presque Isle.