Like many of you, I’m revved up about the perils of purchasing textbooks at this university. Purchasing textbooks should be a relatively easy affair, but depending on which college or school you belong, the task can be pretty difficult. Last week, I spent an afternoon talking to undergraduate and graduate students about the difficulties of this process. After hearing their concerns and researching the process, allow me to offer a brief glance at the process in hopes that you can glean some useful tips to make the process even easier.

SMU Barnes and Noble versus dot coms:

If you are part of a college or school that uses the SMU Barnes and Noble bookstore, make sure to check out their website before you call or visit the store. From their website, you can print out a course-list of the textbooks you need. The list is categorized by course and gives the author, edition, and publisher information. The list will also give you the new and used price listing at the SMU bookstore.

But before you scoff at the bookstore’s prices saying “I can beat this on Amazon,” find out whether there’s a digital version of your textbook. SMU’s Barnes and Noble has a deal with several publishers to allow students to download digital copies of textbooks. Because this cuts out the manufacturing price of the book, the digital version can cost nearly half the price of the printed version. The digital version allows you to highlight, comment, and supposedly have the text read aloud (though I did not try this feature for myself). Unfortunately, the bookstore’s website doesn’t have a single drop down menu to allow you to check for digital checkbooks and physical textbooks all at once, but given the added bonuses of saving trees and bookshelf space, the digital option is a great way to go for the tech savvy student.

Boutique Booksellers:

For students who take classes in schools and colleges where the textbooks are furnished through another bookseller, comparing prices is a bit more difficult. For instance, most required textbooks for students of Perkins School of Theology are ordered through Cokesbury Bookstore, which resides in the basement of Bridwell Library, versus SMU Barnes and Noble. Many times, these smaller booksellers do not offer the online convenience of providing a textbook list so students must physically enter the store to find out what textbooks are required for their classes. And if they want to comparison shop, they must go to the store, copy down the needed ISBN numbers, and then continue their search elsewhere. This is understandably cumbersome for students who live outside the Metroplex, or are under considerable time and financial crunches to pay for school.

I am also well aware that giving book lists directly to students might affect the profits of these boutique booksellers, but there are some good reasons why a student might choose the tried-and-true bookstores over a dot com service. Stores have clear return policies, customer service people, and sales assistants that a website is not willing or able to replicate. In addition, the bookstores have management staff that know a fair amount about the textbook game and can direct you to helpful resources that can further help you in your studies. Plus, most of these boutique bookstores have SMU students and graduates that can give you some insight into your upcoming classes.

If you are a faculty member that uses a boutique bookseller, is it too much to ask to email enrolled students a list of required texts at the end of each registration period? The lists are finalized by this time anyway because the booksellers have to begin ordering books for the next semester. This would not only accommodate students who must overcome distance and strained finances for their education, but it would increase the chance of students being more prepared for the first day of classes since they would have had sufficient time to acquire the required textbooks.

On the Cheap:

Dallas is also known for its used booksellers. The Half-Price Books at Central Expressway and Northwest Highway is a goldmine for used textbooks. They also offer significant buyback for textbooks. There are also independent booksellers all over the Metroplex that carry the classics.

But if you are extremely thrifty and don’t think you’ll get any secondary use out of some of your books, consider checking out books from the library. Often times, SMU’s libraries have a couple copies of required books. If they don’t, use Interlibrary Loan. This service allows you to check out books from libraries from all over the state. Often times these libraries have the textbooks you require so if you request them early enough you might find what you need. Give yourself a few days for shipping and you will be in possession of a free textbook.

Procuring sensibly priced textbooks does not have to be difficult. Just remember, no matter how little or how much you spend on your textbooks, you’re wasting your time and your money if you never use them. No matter what method you use to get your books, be sure to use them to the fullest. S

Richard Newton is a student at the Perkins School of Theology. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].