Every year college students across the nation arrive on campus and go through a common ritual – buying textbooks. Most students know to budget a large chunk of that financial aid check for books, but not everyone is aware that the school bookstore is not the only place to purchase them.
The University of Oregon Bookstore:
The University Bookstore is the main source for textbooks. While it can be the most expensive place to buy course materials, it is the one store in Eugene that will have the books for every class. While the store does organize books by class subject and places shelf markers to identify which books go with which class, finding books can be a time-consuming process for students who come unprepared.
Book Division Team Leader Bruce Lundy said students should either come in with a book list, which can be found using the “Book Hunt” option on the store’s Web site, or bring a class schedule so store employees can look for the correct books in the computer.
The University bookstore also buys back textbooks. While they will buy books throughout the term, the best time to sell them is during the last two weeks of the term, when they know which books they will need for the next term and can offer better prices, Lundy said.
Smith Family Bookstore:
The Smith Family Bookstore has been in business in Eugene for over 30 years and sells new and used books. Students wanting to support a family-run local business and save a little money should check out this store for class books. The store has two locations – one at 525 Willamette St., which does not sell textbooks, and another just off campus at 768 E. 13th Ave. The campus location alone has 360,000 books, said owner Nancy Smith.
The store charges 50 to 60 percent of the “list price,” Smith said. Students taking literature courses and other classes requiring books that are not texts can save a lot of money, but new text books are less prevalent although many are available used. Smith Family buys books of all types at any time.
The Internet:
Students can save a lot of money buying textbooks online, and it is even possible to sell books back through the same Web sites. Anyone can buy and sell books on Half.com, a division of eBay and students can find new books for around the same price or cheaper as buying in stores and often. Used books can be found for less than the price in even local resale stores.
Several Web sites exist to help take the work out of searching for books online. Both Bigwords.com and
Cheapbooks.com search through every major store and seller online and gives users a price comparison of all the various sites.
Lundy admits Web sites are often the cheapest way to go, but said students should be cautious and always do a price comparison with bookstores before shopping online. Factors like shipping and handling can drive up a good price, he said.
The best advice for students is to check the ISBN numbers on the book list from the University bookstore Web site and purchase books only with the same numbers to be absolutely sure the version purchased is the version the professor requires.