Downtown bookstores will now have more copies of schedule and degree requirement "blue" books to meet the needs of students living off-campus.

The Student Bookstore, 330 E. College Ave, and the University Book Centre, 206 E. College Ave., originally received less than 1 percent of the total number of schedule books printed each semester and no degree requirement books, said Steve Long, manager of UBC.

"We ordered and received 2,000 (schedule) books this semester," Long said. "It's quite an improvement from last semester."

Hugh Brown, general manager of SBS, said his store received 2,100 schedule books.

In the middle of January, William A. McVicker, director of the Penn State Bookstore, sent a letter indicating that the downtown bookstores could order more schedule books, Brown said.

"It's been great," Brown said. "It's appreciated that they recognize that two-thirds of the student population live and shop off-campus. I'm glad the University reacted and took care of it."

UBC and SBS had asked the University and the Penn State Bookstore for more copies of the schedule books at every Downtown Business Association meetings, but were denied, Brown said.

Both downtown bookstores will have copies of the 1991-92 baccalaureate books available by this summer.

The downtown bookstores paid for the schedule books at purchase cost, which is 50 cents. No profit is made from selling them.

The downtown bookstores' lack of schedule books became public when on Sept. 6, James Marino, then Undergraduate Student Government presidential assistant, was fired for trying to use a $500 USG purchase order to buy extra copies of the fall 1990 schedule books from the bookstore on campus to sell to SBS.

Jim Bischoff, director of Auxiliary Services, said the Penn State Bookstore was in the process of making arrangements to have the downtown bookstores receive more books during the Fall Semester.

"We were trying to work out an agreement that was equitable to everyone," Bischoff said.

"I don't think they would have sold us anymore books if we hadn't been persistent and there was publicity about it," Long said.

Brown said, "The publicity was good. It got people's attention that something that the students needed was only available at one location."

Student were pleased the downtown bookstores have the books available.

Rene Witzke (junior-art) said, "Having more books at the downtown bookstores is easier for me because I live downtown. It's one less trip onto campus to make."

"I think the downtown bookstores should have the same books as the campus bookstore," said Jon Lawer (senior-physics).