News

Bookstore changes management

The new store manager for the University of La Verne Bookstore, Derek Dioses is glad to be back in La Verne. Dioses has worked for the Follett company for more than 20 years. Dioses began his career at Chapman University and worked at two different stores there. He then briefly moved here to the ULV Bookstore in 1991, moved on to Cal State Dominguez Hills, followed by Cal State Northridge. “It feels like I’ve completed a full circle and now I’m back home,” Dioses said. / photo by Stephanie Arellanes
The new store manager for the University of La Verne Bookstore, Derek Dioses is glad to be back in La Verne. Dioses has worked for the Follett company for more than 20 years. Dioses began his career at Chapman University and worked at two different stores there. He then briefly moved here to the ULV Bookstore in 1991, moved on to Cal State Dominguez Hills, followed by Cal State Northridge. “It feels like I’ve completed a full circle and now I’m back home,” Dioses said. / photo by Stephanie Arellanes

Julissa Cardenas
Staff Writer

The University of La Verne Bookstore has a new manager, sort of.

Derek J. Dioses took the helm on January 28 after Julie Patrick, manager of more than 2 years left for a position at the University of Georgia.

For Dioses, though, the job is not exactly new.

He was the bookstore manager at La Verne in the mid-1990s.

Dioses and Patrick before him, works for Follett, which is a company that runs bookstores throughout the United States and Canada.

Previously, Dioses has more than 20 years experience recently doing similar work.

Dioses started his career at Chapman University in Orange.

Most recently he worked at Cal State Northridge.

He said he has finally settled in and his job consists of managing the bookstore.

The position also entails overseeing shipments, helping the customers when needed.

He also works the register and maintains the store in good condition.

“It’s a little different from Cal State Northridge because of the volume, but I love it here.”

Cal State Northridge has many more students and Dioses said he is still getting used to La Verne’s slower pace.

“The first day of the semester I was expecting all the students to swarm in all at once to get their textbooks, but here the students sort of trickled in a little at a time,” he said.

Aja Gallegos, the textbook manager, said Dioses is fitting right in.

“He is very knowledgeable, and things so far are great,” Gallegos said.

She added that her concern now is not new management, but the economy.

As students have less money to spend, they are buying more books on the Internet.

“Sales are low, but (with) a good manager with a lot of experience … we are all taking it in stride,” Gallegos said.

Mary Ferreira, who also works at the bookstore, echoed Gallegos:

“I just expect great things in the future,” Ferreira said.

The bookstore is located on the corner of Bonita Avenue and D Street.

Julissa Cardenas can be reached at julissa.cardenas@laverne.edu.

Julissa Cardenas, Web Editor
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