Can you skip the college bookstore? This is required reading
When the Harper College bookstore only bought one of the three books Emily Akins of Palatine tried to sell back in late July, she was not surprised. The same thing has happened before at Illinois Wesleyan University, where she is studying English literature and viola performance, so she knows what to do.
"If I can't sell it back, I go to Amazon.com or Half.com," Akins said.
More students are looking to online resources when they purchase college textbooks, turning the book-buying process into a lengthy ordeal of comparing options among bookstores, online retail stores, price-aggregating Web sites, book rental agreements and trades between friends.
"Every semester, that number of students who look for alternative prices continues to grow," said Jeff Cohen, CEO of Campusbooks.com, a site that compares textbook prices from multiple online retailers.
Timing is key for students doing their textbook shopping online, Cohen said. "The cheapest books sell the fastest, so as you get closer to classes starting, the cheaper prices are gone," he said. "Students need to know as early as possible what books they need and then they need to use the resources available to get them."
A federal law effective July 2010 mandates schools post required textbook titles, prices and identification numbers with online course schedules. Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington began listing required texts online this spring semester to comply with the law, said Carl Teichman, director of government and community relations.
Akins, who did not know the list was available, said students typically have had to e-mail their professors to find out what materials to buy before the first day of class. She supports the law, thinking the list will aid in her search for cheaper textbooks.
Deanna Gallo, an Indiana University student from Hoffman Estates, was denied in her effort to sell a book from a summer course back to the Harper bookstore.
"It's an old edition, so they're not buying it back," Gallo said, about her summer-class book. "I might try to resell it to other kids."
Gallo's approach is a common one, as some students begin their textbook search by swapping books with others in their major, said Steve Mead, business manager at Wheaton College. Some Wheaton students share books with classmates and split the cost, he added.
A Web site called SwapSimple.com links people looking to trade books among a larger network.
Students who take the time to search a large number of sources will find the best prices, said Elliot Hirsch, founder and president of SwapSimple.com, which also lists video games and DVDs.
"We tell students, just use this as one piece of the textbook puzzle," he said. "People need all the help they can get to find textbooks."
Alternatives to the campus bookstore
Search the Web for online retailers, price comparison services, swapping services, textbook rental services, international books, eTextbooks and books by chapter. Sources include:
• Half.com
Swap books with friends and classmates
• Students who share a major can find books from older students or others who have taken the course at a different time.
• Splitting the cost and use of one textbook among a group of students is also an option.
Try the library
Some, including the libraries at Harper College and Wheaton College, keep a reserve copy of books for some courses.