Technology aids search for cheaper textbooks
by Emily J. Davis | Daily Collegian (Penn State)
Issue date: 9/5/07 Section: News
(U-WIRE) — If moving back to State College and scouring the campus for your new classrooms at the beginning of the semester isn't stressful enough, nearly every Penn State student has another daunting task ahead this week — buying textbooks.
In the past, there have been limited options in the textbook market and students have relied on bookstores in town, but in recent years more options have arisen to save students money.
According to the National Association of College Stores (NACS), the U.S. college textbook/course materials market was estimated at $6.5 billion for the 2005-2006 academic year, with each student spending between $801 and $904.
A study done by the Government Accountability Office states that the cost of textbooks has risen at twice the rate of annual inflation in the past two decades.
As tuition costs and other higher education expenses rise, students have resorted to the Internet to save money on books.
Online sites such as www.half.com, www.amazon.com and eBay offer new and used textbooks at lower prices than campus bookstores; however, the convenience does not come without a cost.
Students shopping online may have to bid on selected items, as is sometimes required on eBay, with the possibility of losing an auction. Shipping costs must also be factored in, with additional fees to receive a book promptly in time for class.
Despite the extra work, students can often save more than half the publisher's new price. A 2005 report from the NACS revealed that about 23 percent of textbooks were bought online that year.
"I bought my books on Amazon.com because it was so much cheaper," said Juan Morales (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies). "I spent about $200 total and saved around $370 off of the price I would have paid in the bookstore."
Meanwhile, Facebook's Marketplace allows students to find used books being sold by other users by searching for the textbook's ISBN (International Standard Book Number), which universally identifies books with a 10- or 13-digit number located above the barcode.
In the past, there have been limited options in the textbook market and students have relied on bookstores in town, but in recent years more options have arisen to save students money.
According to the National Association of College Stores (NACS), the U.S. college textbook/course materials market was estimated at $6.5 billion for the 2005-2006 academic year, with each student spending between $801 and $904.
A study done by the Government Accountability Office states that the cost of textbooks has risen at twice the rate of annual inflation in the past two decades.
As tuition costs and other higher education expenses rise, students have resorted to the Internet to save money on books.
Online sites such as www.half.com, www.amazon.com and eBay offer new and used textbooks at lower prices than campus bookstores; however, the convenience does not come without a cost.
Students shopping online may have to bid on selected items, as is sometimes required on eBay, with the possibility of losing an auction. Shipping costs must also be factored in, with additional fees to receive a book promptly in time for class.
Despite the extra work, students can often save more than half the publisher's new price. A 2005 report from the NACS revealed that about 23 percent of textbooks were bought online that year.
"I bought my books on Amazon.com because it was so much cheaper," said Juan Morales (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies). "I spent about $200 total and saved around $370 off of the price I would have paid in the bookstore."
Meanwhile, Facebook's Marketplace allows students to find used books being sold by other users by searching for the textbook's ISBN (International Standard Book Number), which universally identifies books with a 10- or 13-digit number located above the barcode.
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