It goes without saying that nearly everyone who attends UCLA
needs textbooks.
Therefore, students often have to buy books directly from the
on-campus UCLA Store, shelling out whatever their learning
materials cost.
“It’s insane, but it’s what you have to
pay,” said first-year undeclared student Richard Bernard.
Isn’t there another way?
In the past, many UCLA students saw purchasing their books
through the UCLA Store, where prices are often higher than other
booksellers, as their only option.
Now more than ever, UCLA students have other options for places
to buy and sell books besides the campus bookstore, which students
often criticize for selling books at exorbitantly high prices and
buying them back at unfairly low resale values.
Both local and national book retailers have realized the market
potential of schools like UCLA, with 35,000 centrally-located
bargain-hunting customers.
In addition, organizations such as Bruinwalk.com and the MyUCLA
Web site have set up free forums where UCLA students can advertise
and bid on books.
Even with all the options, many students, like second-year
communication studies student Marni Spitz, still use the Associated
Students of UCLA-run textbook store as their main book source.
“I like being able to choose my books (in person), to see
what’s highlighted,” Spitz said.
Time sometimes becomes the deciding factor for students choosing
a book-buying method.
First-year political science student Chazal Tajmiri has used
Half.com to buy books before, but said she was too late this
quarter to order on the Internet, and became a victim of “the
old fashioned way” ““ waiting in line in Ackerman.
“(Buying in person) is the easiest way, probably not the
most money efficient,” Tajmiri said.
“This is craziness,” Bernard said while waiting in
line. “Last quarter I did it online, it was much
easier.”
Spitz cited needing the convenience of getting books right away
due to her unstable class schedule and changing book needs. She
doesn’t think textbook buying is a big issue.
However, other students think finding a deal on books is
important, and have turned away from the mainstream to alternative
methods, such as Bruinwalk.com’s new non-profit book exchange
forums.
Available free of charge to anyone with a Bruin Online account,
students with books to sell can post them online with basic
information such as title, author and International Standard Book
Number, along with an asking price.
Students looking for books search the forums by any of those
fields, and after browsing results, can make an offer on a book by
clicking “contact seller” and providing the seller with
their contact information and a price they’re willing to
pay.
The seller can choose to respond to the offer and set up an
exchange, or they can ignore the offer. The seller’s contact
information is not released unless they choose to reveal it to a
buyer.
“Students will be more able to find books at a cheaper
price, and it’s a name on campus that people trust.
It’s more centralized to UCLA,” said Avishai Shraga,
director of Bruinwalk.com.
“Our hope is that it will change the market for books on
campus,” he said.
As of Tuesday, the Bruinwalk textbook exchange had more than 700
postings and 200 offers from nearly 200 different users.
The MyUCLA Web site also has a portion of its forums devoted
specifically to students buying and selling textbooks, which has
existed since MyUCLA was first created.
The forums have been very successful according to MyUCLA
Director Eric Splaver, but he acknowledges the system isn’t
perfect.
“It doesn’t stop people from posting about other
things, much to our dislike,” Splaver said.
A new online book retailer, Bookdude.com, comes with a unique
bonus that sites like Amazon and Half.com don’t offer.
Bookdude sells books to students online, then sends a van with a
student’s purchase to Sproul Turnaround the same day it was
ordered. Students pick up the books from “Bookdude”
Stephen Sun, the driver of what is currently Bookdude’s only
mobile unit.
Bookdude offers the drop-off service exclusively at UCLA, and
will continue until Jan. 15.
Employed students or those receiving financial aid can get their
materials for free in a book-lending program headed by
Undergraduate Students Association Council member Andrew LaFlamme,
who heads the Financial Supports Commission.
Applications for eligible students are available outside his
office in Kerckhoff Hall 300A.