They’re not worth the paper they’re printed on.
That may not be the actual value of used books, but at the end of each semester, that is the sentiment most students have when selling them back.
Each semester, thousands of students spend hundreds of dollars to buy books for classes that last four months.
During those four months, the depreciation of most books rivals that of a used car. The only difference is a car’s depreciation is normally measured over years rather than a few weeks.
There is more to the buying and selling of books than can be seen by the naked eye. Many factors come into play before the bookstore can give you money back for your books at the end of the semester. The bookstore abides by a national book listing.
“The textbook industry is a massive money-making machine,” sophomore Elissa Mancini said. “They know how to do it.”
The bookstore doesn’t know how to change student perception, but officials understand there is very little they can do about the feeling students have, unless they can educate students about the entire buying/selling process.
“It’s not much different than retailers of cars, good or even homes,” SMU Bookstore general manager Marilyn Hartman said. “Students only see the money deplete their bank accounts, then they end up with very little back.”
In addition, the bookstore follows each professor’s adoption list. An adoption list is the sheet a teacher is required to hand in to inform the bookstore of the types of books and the amount needed for the following semester or summer session.
The bookstore can’t buy back any books for any more than market price until the professors hand in these sheets. This is because it cannot afford to lose money by buying unneeded books.
The bookstore doesn’t even receive much of the profit. More than 90 percent of the profits goes elsewhere, with the bookstore gaining about 10 cents of every dollar. Also, if the book prices go up, it’s not normally the bookstore’s fault.
They have to abide, much of the time, by a publisher’s set price. But even then, SMU students still don’t understand why there are not other ways of saving money, such as buying used books.
“I don’t think they have enough used books,” junior Tiffany Melton said. “First day I go, there are none left.”
But the lack of used books at SMU is not normally the bookstore’s fault. The bookstore gets as many used books as possible, just like any other university. It’s a huge competition between schools for the same books.
The school that has professors fill out the adoption sheets gets the first used books.
And it’s a very long process for the professors to choose the books for the next semester. Many consult hundreds of books to find the most efficient version, but through that entire process there is really no way to speed up the process. Limiting time for teachers might result in book selections that are not as resourceful or useful for the classes they teach. Either way you look at it, it will end up hurting the student body more.
The bookstore’s advice about the buying and selling of books is to use the reservation process.
Students simply give the store a class schedule and a credit card number to reserve books for classes. The earlier that is done, the better chance students have at getting used books that are sold back to the store unless new books are ordered for the class.
Students can pick up books with no long lines, no sold out books and less hassle.
Hartman said that students should take advantage of selling back books before the year is over. That could mean more money in students’ pockets.
“The best time to sell them back is right before and during finals week,” Hartman said. “The majority of the professors’ adoption sheets are in, so you can get the most for your books.”
