Kinko’s coursepacks gaining usage

It has become a growing trend at Laurier for professors to purchase course packages through FedEx Kinko’s, located at 170 University Ave. W, instead of through the on-campus bookstore.

With fast printing time, an online ordering system and discounted rates, the walk to Kinko’s becomes insignificant for many.

“I don’t [mind the walk]; it’s less expensive, so that’s kind of a bonus,” said second-year student Steph Brown.

In addition to negotiable prices on printed course packs, Kinko’s also offers quick turnaround times as an incentive for professors to choose their services.

They ensure that course packages can be printed and ready in a week’s time, and if it is out of stock the reader can be ordered by students and will be ready within 24 hours.

“The one thing I know… is that a lot of the professors will go on vacation, they won’t have time to do their course readers and they can come in here five days before the course starts and they can do it here,” said Kinko’s manager Vincent Salba, about why some professors like to use Kinko’s.

While you can also order your books online from the Laurier Bookstore, students still have to wait for the books to be delivered to their home.

As a result, students will not get their books any faster than the copies that are delivered to the bookstore.

Many students have found that when a book or course pack from the bookstore is placed on backorder or has to be re-ordered, it can take a long time.

This leaves students without necessary course materials; sometimes well into the academic year.

“[The bookstore is] always like, two weeks… that’s like the third week of school,” said second-year student Emma Pink about having to wait for a book to be in stock.

The Laurier Bookstore can also unreliable with timelines regarding when they will be getting books in stock, forcing students to have to check back often and sometimes to wait extended periods of time.

Instead of having to check back every day, Kinko’s allows students to go online and order their course pack to ensure that it will be in stock when they go to the store.

“I still haven’t got one of my books,” said Brown. “[The bookstore] keeps running out of it every time I go.”

Kinko’s has legal copyrights, which ensures that nothing they print is against copyright laws; they are also Access Canada certified.

This year, Kinko’s has started conducting a pilot program involving Laurier professors.

Their plan is to make it possible for professors, in the future, to go online and prepare their course packs, making them easier and less time consuming to create.

Kinko’s offers

• Quick turnaround times
• Access Canada certified
• Preferred printing vendor of Access Canada for course readers; according to Vincent Salba
• Copyright accuracy
• Online ordering
• Discounted rates