Online or bookstore: the textbook dilemma
By Vinckt Dangolovich
Staff Writer
VWDSOO6@PSU.EDU
The numbers are getting ever bigger. In
2006, Dr. James V. Koch reported for the
Advisory Committee on Student Financial
Assistance that students would spend approximately $lOO9 a year on
textbooks. This, according to the Government Accountability Office,
is the result of 23 years of inflating prices combined with accessory
products such as CD-ROMs and web software. Students are forced to
consider how to get the most for their precious dollars when shopping.
Should they trust the campus bookstore, which conveniently orders the
exact texts required by each professor? Should they trust the wide range
of online sources with the promise of lower costs?
For the answers, let us review how some Penn State Harrisburg students
found the textbooks for this semester.
Hannah Mohler is a communications major and a junior transfer from
Harrisburg Area Community College. She said her book costs for the
semester totaled around $4OO. That is a $lOO dollar jump from her time
at HACC but she suspects it has more to do with a concentration on her
major than a change in schools. Her adage is “check online unless it’s
used” which meant her most expensive new book was an online purchase
for $192. She also said the extra “$3 for two day shipping is well worth
the money.”
While Hannah seemed confident in her purchasing prowess, she may
cringe to know what freshman Kari Paul spent without the Internet price
checks. Kari went as late as August to shop for her books in the PSH
bookstore. “My Mom paid for it,” said the young woman. Though new to
the textbook game, she managed to get roughly half her books used and
half new at costs very similar to her junior counterpart. In other words,
even though Hannah had experience searching online for better priced
new books, Kari roughly matched her bill by simply finding used books
at the campus store.
Benjamin Wigton took a similar route. A junior civil engineering
student, he is currently
enrolled in six classes
for the semester with a
textbook total of $725.
When asked why he did
not go online to attempt
cutting costs he had a
simple answer: “The
$l5-20 you save online
isn’t enough to compare
in the convenience of the
bookstore.” However,
he did add that he had
shopped online in the past
and would recommend it
for the future. He trusts
Amazon.com because
“they are reliable... a
good company with good
service” and he has had
good experience with
them.
Vanessa Knight would
disagree with Benjamin.
A communications mgjor
with a similar class load,
she said that Amazon was
too expensive. Instead,
she prefers Half.com and
Online options
Photo courtesy ofMaketextbooksaffordable.org
amazon.com®
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Holf.com
fsHOPi ccittpaoy
Photo courtesy ofHalf.com
® Started by students for students, it gives many an
Campus Book Swop opportunity to trade textbooks between semesters at no
PhotocourtesyofCampusbookswap.com cost.
If you like the idea of renting a textbook instead of
owning, this service functions like Netflix in that you
«r create a list ofbooks and pay a subscription fee. At the end
of the semester, the student drops the books in a prepaid
PhotocourtesyofChegg.com envelope and sends them back to the loaner.
THE CAPITAL TIMES
its associated online stores where she was able to make a $7OO price tag
into a $4OO one. Unfortunately, this came at another cost. She had to
wait for online deliveries up to three weeks. This meant missing reading
assignments and buying books from the bookstore that she would later
return. As the bookstore only allows returns without a drop sheet for
a limited time, this nearly cost her $2OO dollars for an extra textbook.
Vanessa said that most professors are aware of this problem in students
buying books online but admits “some give readings the first day.” Her
savings may have easily become more trouble than their worth.
Although the campus bookstore could not give an official comment at
presstime, it would appear that it has remained viable competition for its
online counterparts. Despite overhead, they usually meet an online price
within $2O. Furthermore, the textbooks are those specifically ordered by
the professors. There are no false advertisements or mismatched photos
for its merchandise. Nearly all the online shopping students interviewed
have danced around that disaster. Also, the bookstore has no shipping
time. If it is the store, you may buy and read it immediately. This does
not even factor in the ease of which the campus store will buy back used
books for the next semester. An enticing, moneymaking prospect for
the penny-pinching student. However, does this mean we should avoid
going anywhere else for our textbooks? No. It simply means we must be
clever in our hunt for the best deals.
Senior Sara Williams is a transfer student from Penn State Erie. With
her psychology credits, Sara surely brought with her a unbeatable
approach to finding her textbooks. Her book total for the semester
came to a mere $4O. The feat was so impressive the interview quickly
focused on her techniques. “A lot of times [professors] don’t know how
much the textbooks cost,” she said. “But if you email them to see if they
have an extra copy you can borrow or if an old edition is okay, it shows
initiative and they like that.” Her books, many of them an older edition,
were found used through Amazon for $l. Apparently, the student sellers
are “just eager to get
anything for an out of
date book.” Sara also
recommends checking
any library for reserves or
texts and renewing them
all semester. According
to her, most people will
overlook this option. This
amounts to Ms. Williams
getting a projected
estimated savings of $460
for the semester. That is
money well saved.
It would appear that
shopping online or on
campus will carry its
own advantages and
disadvantages for you to
way. There are savings
to be found in dollars,
time, and frustration that
you will have to count
for yourself. One just
has to realize that there
are multiple options even
beyond the brick-and
mortar and the digital
The Public Internet Research Group (PIRGS) is dedicated
to finding the reasons behind high textbook costs and
how to promote solutions. Be sure to read their news
releases. “Five Ways to Save on Textbooks Now, Three
Ways to Lower Price” is One headline that delivers on its
promise.
Although some may avoid the site, it still offers a its
own products as-well-as those of smaller businesses. It
is a great way to find the comparative price of a textbook
before heading to the bookstore. Amazon has also offered
free trials of premium services for free shipping and
discounts on textbook orders. Just be sure to cancel the
service before you are charged if you decide it is not for
you.
Like Amazon, it is an excellent place to get a sense of
book prices. For better service, always check the rating of
a seller and its location. A book can ship faster from New
York than it can from Seattle.
September 23,2009
shelves.