Book buy-back begins Friday, up to faculty to get orders in so students can save money

Book buy-back begins this Friday, and some students are worried they will not be getting their money’s worth.

“I think it’s a rip-off,” said Gentry Lock, a sophomore landscape architecture student. Lock said she never gets anywhere near the amount of money back for her books that she paid for them.

However, bookstores say they are trying to give students as much money as they can.

“We want to make sure that students get the most money possible,” said Kris Folsom, marketing director for the Lory Student Center.

CSU Bookstore, Rams Bookstore and Big Dog Textbooks are the primary outlets where students can sell books. Each of these stores follows a similar procedure to determine the price they will pay students for books. Faculty and staff members play a large role in determining the price.

“The reality is that the bookstore can only buy inventory until we know that a particular book is going to be used in fall semester,” said Margaret Gearhart, textbook director for the CSU Bookstore. “If the book is being used the next semester and we know, we will pay 50 percent of the new price of the book.”

Rams Bookstore and Big Dog Textbooks will also pay 50 percent if the book has been ordered for next semester. Without the order, bookstores are forced to sell the book to a book wholesaler that oftentimes will not pay as much.

“For the others that aren’t being used, we search the national wholesalers,” said Griff Kill, manager of Rams Bookstore. “We will still search the national market to find the best price for students.”

Peter Nicholls, provost and academic vice president, encouraged faculty and staff to get their book orders in soon.

“The bookstore can secure more used books for our students, which can save them potentially thousands of dollars,” Nicholls said. “With tuition and fee increases likely, and with potential decreases in financial aid, our students will appreciate every dollar they can save on textbooks.”

CSU Bookstore hopes this relationship will continue to improve.

“We really value the relationship we have with the faculty,” Folsom said. “They’re absolutely instrumental in helping us serve our customers.”

Lock hopes faculty and staff will be able to save her some money.

“I think faculty should get on the ball,” Lock said. “It’s our expense.”

Book buy-back locations:

CSU Bookstore

SW corner of Clark Building

West side of Durrel Center

Moby Arena parking lot

CSU Bookstore lower level

Rams Bookstore

Campus West Theatre on Elizabeth

Rams Bookstore on corner of Laurel and Mason

Big Dog Textbooks

Big Dog Textbooks on corner of Shields and Elizabeth