Craven Community College

How BibliU tailored merchandise, course materials, and campus support to fit Craven Community College

0.25%

$184,927.80

Challenges

Solution

Results

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CASE STUDY

Made for Craven: Campus Store and Course Materials, Shaped by the College

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The Opportunity

A Solution That Fits the College

Craven Community College wanted a campus store that did more than sell textbooks. Getting there meant collaborating with administration, faculty, and store employees to build a unique solution.

‍

Craven runs campuses in New Bern and Havelock as well as their Volt Center and Cherry Point Extension Center. Across these locations, Craven enrolls about 3,200 curriculum students alongside more than 10,000 in continuing education each year. On a given day the store serves early college high schoolers, students in workforce training, sophomores heading to four-year universities, and community members taking a single class.

‍

Faculty needs varied just as much as students. Some courses were ready for digital materials straight away. Others, particularly hands-on programs, wanted a slower move from print. One standard across the college from the outset would not account for the differences across campus.

Key Opportunities

  • Provide the college with one accountable partner across the campus store and course materials
  • Stock merchandise that matched students’ wants, needs, and budgets
  • Move courses to digital at a pace that made sense for Craven and their faculty
  • Deliver competitive costs year to year
  • Turn the campus store into a community hub, extending its reach beyond just textbooks

‍

Meeting Craven Where It Was

Measured Digital Implementation

  • A course-by-course approach instead of a blanket digital mandate
  • Insights for faculty to see what students pay under each title
  • Competitive pricing since launch

Curated Assortment

  • Items built around the local market and financial aid
  • Good, better, and best options under a price cap, instead of premium stock that ends up marked down
  • Prioritized fast-moving stock that holds its value at full price

‍

“

“Our relationship with BibliU has been amazing. From our very first conversation to full implementation, they have always been there, have always been responsive, and have always been considerate and understanding of our challenges. Our partnership with BibliU provides a bookstore that’s more than just a place to purchase textbooks—it’s a hub for convenience, connection, and support, designed to meet the evolving needs of our students.”

–  

— Jim Millard, VP for Administration, Craven Community College

“

Results

Average of three terms, reflecting strong student adoption and confidence in the program.

Generated within the first three months of operations with BibliU.

Conclusion

The clearest measure of this partnership is not the pricing or the assortment. It is that Craven treats the store as part of the college. Departments send students there and trust the team to give them the right answer. When the store cannot resolve a question, the manager calls the office that can help best, without sending a student across campus. The store manager is seen as a member of the Craven team who happens to work for BibliU.

‍

None of that was in the contract. It grew from the same habit that shaped everything else. When faculty needed supplies the store could continue stocking, the terms were resisted. When some disciplines were not ready for digital, the rollout worked around them and the conversation resumed the following semester.

‍

A real partner is proven not by what was agreed to at the start, but how the relationship adapts as circumstances change. Adjusting bookstore needs as Craven’s student needs evolve and becoming part of the campus community are the choices that build trust over time.

‍

case study

Made for Craven: Campus Store and Course Materials, Shaped by the College

Download Case Study
The CHALLENGE

A Solution That Fits the College

Craven Community College wanted a campus store that did more than sell textbooks. Getting there meant collaborating with administration, faculty, and store employees to build a unique solution.

‍

Craven runs campuses in New Bern and Havelock as well as their Volt Center and Cherry Point Extension Center. Across these locations, Craven enrolls about 3,200 curriculum students alongside more than 10,000 in continuing education each year. On a given day the store serves early college high schoolers, students in workforce training, sophomores heading to four-year universities, and community members taking a single class.

‍

Faculty needs varied just as much as students. Some courses were ready for digital materials straight away. Others, particularly hands-on programs, wanted a slower move from print. One standard across the college from the outset would not account for the differences across campus.

Key Opportunities
  • Provide the college with one accountable partner across the campus store and course materials
  • Stock merchandise that matched students’ wants, needs, and budgets
  • Move courses to digital at a pace that made sense for Craven and their faculty
  • Deliver competitive costs year to year
  • Turn the campus store into a community hub, extending its reach beyond just textbooks

‍

THE SOLUTION

Meeting Craven Where It Was

Measured Digital Implementation

  • A course-by-course approach instead of a blanket digital mandate
  • Insights for faculty to see what students pay under each title
  • Competitive pricing since launch

Curated Assortment

  • Items built around the local market and financial aid
  • Good, better, and best options under a price cap, instead of premium stock that ends up marked down
  • Prioritized fast-moving stock that holds its value at full price

‍

“Our relationship with BibliU has been amazing. From our very first conversation to full implementation, they have always been there, have always been responsive, and have always been considerate and understanding of our challenges. Our partnership with BibliU provides a bookstore that’s more than just a place to purchase textbooks—it’s a hub for convenience, connection, and support, designed to meet the evolving needs of our students.”
— Jim Millard, VP for Administration, Craven Community College
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case study

Made for Craven: Campus Store and Course Materials, Shaped by the College

Download Case Study
The OPPORTUNITY

A Solution That Fits the College

Craven Community College wanted a campus store that did more than sell textbooks. Getting there meant collaborating with administration, faculty, and store employees to build a unique solution.

‍

Craven runs campuses in New Bern and Havelock as well as their Volt Center and Cherry Point Extension Center. Across these locations, Craven enrolls about 3,200 curriculum students alongside more than 10,000 in continuing education each year. On a given day the store serves early college high schoolers, students in workforce training, sophomores heading to four-year universities, and community members taking a single class.

‍

Faculty needs varied just as much as students. Some courses were ready for digital materials straight away. Others, particularly hands-on programs, wanted a slower move from print. One standard across the college from the outset would not account for the differences across campus.

Key Opportunities
  • Provide the college with one accountable partner across the campus store and course materials
  • Stock merchandise that matched students’ wants, needs, and budgets
  • Move courses to digital at a pace that made sense for Craven and their faculty
  • Deliver competitive costs year to year
  • Turn the campus store into a community hub, extending its reach beyond just textbooks

‍

THE APPROACH

Meeting Craven Where It Was

Measured
Digital Implementation

  • A course-by-course approach instead of a blanket digital mandate
  • Insights for faculty to see what students pay under each title
  • Competitive pricing since launch

Curated Assortment

  • Items built around the local market and financial aid
  • Good, better, and best options under a price cap, instead of premium stock that ends up marked down
  • Prioritized fast-moving stock that holds its value at full price
“Our relationship with BibliU has been amazing. From our very first conversation to full implementation, they have always been there, have always been responsive, and have always been considerate and understanding of our challenges. Our partnership with BibliU provides a bookstore that’s more than just a place to purchase textbooks—it’s a hub for convenience, connection, and support, designed to meet the evolving needs of our students.”
— Jim Millard, VP for Administration, Craven Community College

Proven Impact Across Campus

0.25%

Opt-out Rate
Average of three terms, reflecting strong student adoption and confidence in the program.

$184,927.80

Retail Sales
Generated within the first three months of operations with BibliU.

Why it matters

The clearest measure of this partnership is not the pricing or the assortment. It is that Craven treats the store as part of the college. Departments send students there and trust the team to give them the right answer. When the store cannot resolve a question, the manager calls the office that can help best, without sending a student across campus. The store manager is seen as a member of the Craven team who happens to work for BibliU.

‍

None of that was in the contract. It grew from the same habit that shaped everything else. When faculty needed supplies the store could continue stocking, the terms were resisted. When some disciplines were not ready for digital, the rollout worked around them and the conversation resumed the following semester.

‍

A real partner is proven not by what was agreed to at the start, but how the relationship adapts as circumstances change. Adjusting bookstore needs as Craven’s student needs evolve and becoming part of the campus community are the choices that build trust over time.

‍

Download Case Study
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