Textbook prices have risen 6 percent each year and for a total of 82 percent since 2002, according to an article published in USA Today Tuesday. Though the NCSU Bookstore introduced a price comparison shopping tool last year to help combat rising book costs, students can often find better deals elsewhere.
The new comparison shopping tool allows students to compare the price of a textbook in the bookstore to websites such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, eBay and others without having to leave one webpage.
For example, the tool shows that the bookstore sells the new textbook for EC 301 Microeconomics for $143. It also shows that the text is available at Amazon for $128.98 and prices range from $150.44 to $185.43 for the same book on the site Half, which is a part of eBay.
A new book for PSY 230 Research Methods costs $107.50 from the bookstore and $75.78 from Amazon.
Sometimes, however, the bookstore can offer a better deal, and some new books, like the one for FLG 201, are cheaper than used versions on Amazon.
Sophomore Jon Mizrach, a first-year engineer, said Amazon has better buy-back value.
“I like to buy my books on sites such as Amazon, because I can sell back my books for the same price as what I paid for them.”
Although sites like Amazon and Half can save students money, they often lack convenience.
Books for German 202 and a technical geometry book for GC 330 were both available immediately from the bookstore. However, virtually all the books for these subjects from Amazon and Half weren’t available until Sept. 11, with very few being available by Aug. 30.
The comparison site also shows the condition of the books and the date each one should arrive.
“Textbook prices have always been way too expensive, but at least there are sites such as the bookstore comparison site that let me compare prices to get the best deal,” said Allison Kittinger, a freshman in English.
NCSU Bookstore Associate Director Anthony Sanders said N.C. State has been trying to save students money in more ways than one.
“We always look for new ways to make sure students get the best deal on their textbooks,” Sanders said. “This is why we have started the price comparison site and market heavily to students about our tax-free weekend book ordering.”
Sanders said that so far this school year, the majority of students using the comparison site have chosen to buy their books from the bookstore.
“Up to 70 percent of students who have used the comparison site up to this point this year have chosen to buy their books from the bookstore instead of other sites.” Sander said. “We want to make sure students are able to compare prices and find a good deal on their textbooks.”
Sanders said the bookstore saved students a total of $2 million on new textbooks in 2012-2013, though it’s less clear whether the bookstore or online sites offer the best deals on used books.
The bookstore also gives one copy of each textbook to the library for use as reference texts. Instead of buying a textbook they may use just once or twice a week, students can go to the reserve desk at D.H. Hill and check out the books they need for use in the building.
The bookstore also offers the option of renting books or buying e-books from the site CourseSmart to give students a much less expensive digital book to save on their computer or tablet. With advances in classroom technology and the use of tablets, this option has become increasingly popular.
Students are finding still other sources to purchase their textbooks.
“I prefer to buy my books from other students by finding them on the N.C. State book exchange Facebook page,” said Sabrina Talso, a sophomore in fashion and textile management. “Or I’ll swap books with a student that finished the class already in a semester.”
