Textbook shopping 101

Campus bookstores maintain an important role at universities across the nation.

Even with its popularity, buying at a bookstore tends to be the most expensive option. Although there are a variety of alternatives, for some students, buying books the traditional way is the way to go.

“I generally buy my books from the IU Bookstore,” senior Eric Burns said. “I like being able to give them my schedule and they can tell me everything I need. It’s a little more expensive, but I like the convenience.”

However, with the help of the Internet, students now have the option to rent or buy books online, and can even purchase them in the form of e-books.

Should I rent?
Renting textbooks is a fairly recent trend among university students as a cheap alternative to purchasing books. Both the IU Bookstore and T.I.S. offer this option, in addition to local retailer TXT Book Rental and websites like Chegg.com.
Pros: Renting a textbook is cheaper than purchasing one, and you don’t have to keep a book that you don’t want. According to T.I.S., renting textbooks usually saves you 60 percent off the list price of the book.
Cons: Rental books have to be kept in good condition, so you can’t write in them as much, if at all.
Students say: “I usually rent my books,” senior Jon Tienhaara said. “It’s a little cheaper. The only downside is that you don’t get money from selling them back at the end of the semester.”

Should I buy online?
Buying online can also save money, especially with popular websites like www.Amazon.com. They advertise big discounts on new and used textbooks and databases like Google books, even offering some for free.
Pros: You can do it from the comfort of your own living room and you might find yours for free.
Cons: Finding free books online often only works for novels or classics. Also, if you order your books online, you have to wait for them to arrive.
Students say: “Most of the books I need are novels, so if I can find them online for free using the Gutenberg Project or something, then I don’t buy them,” senior Betsy Stout said. “If I can’t, then I buy them in person at T.I.S. or a regular bookstore so that I can have them in my hand right away.”

Should I get e-books?
Once you’ve decided whether you want to buy online or rent, you can also choose whether you’d like traditional books or e-books, which can be read on a portable device, like a Kindle or a NOOK. However, most of them are formatted to be read on a computer screen.
Pros: Having an eTextbook on your computer saves some space and weight in your backpack.
Cons: Looking at a computer all the time can be a bad habit, especially for your eyes.
Students say: “I always use eTextbooks,” graduate student Dhairya Gala said. “I download the PDF and I can take it anywhere with me. The only con that I see is that sometimes when you want to refer to another section in the book, you have to scroll up and down instead of flipping the pages, which can be irritating.”