Although Penn State students have the ability to buy and sell their books online, sales at bookstores in State College remain steady.

Managers at several local student bookstores agree that business has not been affected by the use of the Internet

Norm Brown, manager of the Student Book Store, 330 E. College Ave., said the store's sales have not been influenced by the use of the Internet in recent years. SBS had a record number of books sold back to the store in December, Brown said.

Tom Fankhauser, assistant store manager of Penn State Bookstore on campus, agreed with Brown, saying that the bookstore's sales have not declined.

"We haven't seen any significant change in sales," Fankhauser said.

The University Book Center, 206 E. College Ave., has not seen a change in its book sales either, said Trisha Coyle, textbook manager.

"People don't want the inconvenience of waiting for books," Coyle said.

Most students go into the store to see what books they need for their classes, she added.

The Internet is helpful for students when buying books, Brown said. SBS has allowed students to order their books via an SBS online site for the past three years, he said. Students have been taking advantage of the service, as the amount of students who order their books online has steadily increased, Brown added.

"It seems to be a service that the students are happy with," he said.

One big advantage of ordering books online is students have the "first crack at" used books, sometimes allowing them to receive the used books that are in the best shape, Brown said. Ordering books online also enables students to pick up their books quickly, without any hassle, he said.

"The biggest advantage is that everything's boxed and ready to go when (the student) gets here," Brown added.

Coyle has noticed an increasing number of schedules being sent by students to the store to have their books set aside, she said. It is more convenient because the students who order books do not have to fight the crowds, Coyle added.

The students who order books in advance also get the first choice in used materials, she said.

Fankhauser also acknowledges the advantages that accompany ordering books online. He does believe, however, that most students prefer to look for their books themselves. Students like to look through the used books to pick out the ones they like the best, and they also prefer to shop around at the three different bookstores before buying, he said.

Some students also prefer to buy some books later into the semester or to wait to see if they're going to drop a class, he added.