When Textbook Costs Seem To Be Getting Out Of Hand, Try Your Local Library - They Can Be A Great Academic Resource!
Recently I purchased a particular text for an online class that was an easily procured textbook. I purchased it from the college bookstore because it indicated that the first two chapters of the book were online. Assuming that it was important to have these online components (for who-knew-what reason!) I purchased the text as required, although I could have saved some money getting it elsewhere. I was annoyed to find that not only did we not use those chapters, they were never referred to again, and when I inquired of the professor as to why it was required, she had no idea! To make matters worse, I had to pay extra shipping costs to get it on time for the class. Needless to say, I was a bit annoyed. Since then I have made a concentrated effort to acquire some of these books from my local library.
I’m a book lover. I love to read - I love the tactile experience of reading, of opening a new book or a well-loved one, for the very first time. I love the smell of books and how it feels when I put my bookmark in and shut the cover. I will never be someone who could read a novel online, or substitute a movie for a classic book. So, when it comes to buying textbooks, I’m fairly OK with it. I don’t mind having textbooks as part of my library, and always feel I will need them again at some point. However, I’m also realistic about the value of a dollar, and if I can pay $50 for a book that is essentially the same as an $80 book, I’m there! I also don’t want to purchase a slightly different edition of a book by Mary Shelly or Edgar Allen Poe when I already have three on my shelf! So…to make a long story short, I’ve made it a point to provide my local library with a list of the books I need a few weeks prior to my course. I’ve had very good luck getting almost everything I’ve asked for. (Of course, being an English major, it’s a little easier to get my books than it might be for a physics major, for instance) The librarians are incredibly helpful and extremely knowledgeable. I have saved a lot of money with just a little bit of organization up front. Try it – you may be pleasantly surprised!
