To celebrate their one-year collaboration, Books by Roelants and the Global Lounge throw a birthday party on 11 May. Owner of the bookstore Wouter Roelants is happy with the collaboration, but fears the situation might change when the university moves organizations out of Thomas van Aquinostraat.

It has been a year since the campus bookstore Books by Roelants and the Global Lounge set up house together at the Thomas van Aquinostraat. Roelants sells study books and literary novels, and the Global Lounge serves as a common room for international staff and students. To celebrate the anniversary, the two throw a birthday party next week, on 11 May, from 17.00 until 19.00.

Wouter Roelants is the owner of the bookstore and he will open the party next Wednesday, together with Marian Janssen from the International Office. He says he is pleased with how the shop developed itself in the past year. ‘We collaborate with many study associations and we are still looking for more of those collaborations. The Global Lounge is an excellent partner to share a building with, they attract new people to the bookstore as well.’ More collaborations with study associations help Books by Roelants to compete with national competitors like Studystore, a company that sells online.

‘We are still looking for more of those collaborations’

It is possible that the successful merge of the bookstore and Global Lounge will not last. Since the university is moving organizations out of the buildings in Thomas van Aquinostraat, they might get separated. Roelants would regret that, but says that he does not know for sure what will happen. ‘For now, we are very satisfied with how things are.’ He is looking forward to the party. ‘It is going to be a nice afternoon, we hope a lot of people come.’ As an extra party favor, Books by Roelants offers a 10 percent discount on all English books on 11 May.

If you want to go to the party, make sure to register.