As students finalize their schedules for the semester, one unwelcome task can no longer be avoided: buying textbooks.
In this economy, students are understandably loathe to shill out hundreds of dollars to purchase chemistry books and history bulkpacks. Two years ago, students spent more than $700 on average for a year's worth of books, and that number likely has gone up since then.
Luckily, the number of alternatives is proliferating, especially as the book industry comes of age digitally. Online book markets like Better Than The Bookstore have for years provided a cheap, if disorganized, alternative to traditional booksellers, and students should continue to utilize these sites.
However, emerging options, such as digital books and textbook rentals, appear more promising, and the University should work with professors and the book industry to promote their adoption and growth. Book rentals - which one company is beginning this December - would allow students to use the suggested editions at up to 70 percent off the listing price, without having to worry about the buyback price. On a similar note, a few universities are working with Amazon to incorporate its digital reader, the Kindle, into the classroom. Although the Kindle itself is somewhat pricey, books are often less expensive when downloaded to the machine.
Rental systems and digital books offer a final benefit, which is their environmental friendliness. The University puts a strong emphasis on its sustainability and environmental efforts - and is even today announcing its Climate Action Plan - and should urge students, and professors, to make the switch to these alternatives.
