Increasingly, college bookstores are departing from the traditional model and becoming high-technology retailing environments, providing books, merchandise, food services, and entertainment in one location. Critics say they lack charm and are attempting to do too much; supporters feel they are better positioned for sales in a competitive market.…

Local bookstore owners charge that the selling of best-sellers and trade books unrelated to coursework by community college bookstores violates California's education code. The decision was not based on free-speech grounds but on the language of the state code. (MSE)

The small-business community, which has long complained that colleges have an unfair advantage in the marketplace because of their tax-exempt status, has become increasingly vocal in its demands for new taxes and restrictions on the services and products that colleges and other non-profit organizations can offer. (MLW)