Long lines, heavy books and empty pockets may be a thing of the past for textbook shoppers this semester.
Students looking to save money on their books and avoid the stress of shopping at the bookstore have many alternatives, including online campus book swaps, Web sites and digital textbooks.
Instead of tired legs and sore arms, students can sit comfortably at their computer and get their books through Web sites like
half.com, an online textbook provider by eBay that enables users to bid on books. Students are often able to get books much cheaper than they would in the bookstore.
"I got my book within two weeks, and it was $40 less expensive than what it would have been in the ASU Bookstore," said psychology sophomore Katie Regan.
However, not all students have been pleased with
half.com.
Broadcast journalism sophomore Honora Swanson Bober bought a math book from the Web site and said she got it for a great price, but it came at a cost.
"It was way cheap, but it was also way late," she said. "I got it in October, halfway through the semester."
Swanson Bober won't be logging on again, she said.
Students who don't want to mess with ordering books online can visit allasu.net, an all-ASU online book swap, said Undergraduate Student Government Vice President Elizabeth Simonhoff.
The online book swap is a good way to avoid shipping costs, Simonhoff said.
Because it's only accessible to ASU students, users are able to meet in person to get the book, she said.
Book swaps are a way for all students to benefit, said USG President Ross Meyer. The student selling the book could get more money than they would by selling it to the bookstore. The student buying the book could pay less than they would if they bought it elsewhere.
"This allows students to win throughout the process," Meyer said.
Digital textbooks — books available for downloading online — are also an option for students.
To purchase a digital textbook, students retrieve a piece of cardboard with a barcode on it, which is usually found next to the hardcover textbooks at the ASU Bookstore. After paying, there is a password on the receipt that students enter onto a Web site to access their textbook digitally.
The digital books, which have been available for more than a year, are at least 20 percent cheaper than the actual texts, said Rob Meyers, book division manager at the ASU Bookstore.
But these digital textbooks are taking a long time to catch on, likely due to durability of a bound book Meyers said.
Journalism senior David Biscobing said the online book he purchased wasn't as easy to use as a bound
book.
"I like having the book in hand," he said. "I found it much easier than navigating a Web site."
Another problem with digital textbooks could be the fact that digital books are still in their infancy, Meyers said.
"If they become more interactive, I think you're going to see a big upswing in sales," he said.
Reach the reporter at: kyle.snow@asu.edu.
