A student’s guide to book bargaining
Farheen Agoro, Contributor |
What textbooks can I find? Where do I find them? Can I even afford them?
Despite what you may think, textbook shopping doesn’t have to be stressful this fall.
While the most common place you’ll be referred to is the Campus Store, the arrival of new and returning students brings a shortage of stock and the worry of affordability.
Thankfully, there are many resources online and in-person for when you go looking for your textbook list.
Whether you are in a pinch or just looking for a good deal on your books, these are some of the best resources for broke and busy students.
Local bookstores
Calgary is home to a variety of used bookstores that buy, sell, and exchange books, opening the door to a thriving community of readers. What is better than supporting local and getting a good deal in the process?
If you are looking to build up your library, Fair’s Fair Books has got you covered. With branches in Inglewood and Chinook, you can buy, sell, and trade books within both stores.
Fair’s Fair Books also has a special in-store credit on select items, easily identifiable by the company’s branded sticker. These books can get you up to 80 per cent trade credit that links to your profile and never expires. This strategy provides cheaper options and environmentally friendly ways to keep books out of landfills and back on shelves.
Shelf Life Books is another locally-owned and operated business that specializes in high-quality literature, Canadian authors, and diverse voices for all genres. They also tap into the greater book community as they host events, book clubs, trivia nights, author engagement, and more. They are a friendly place located in the southwest that is sure to meet all of your new book needs this fall.
Making old books new again, The Next Page on 9th Ave. SE is perfect for students who are looking to sell their old books and reinvest in their new list. The store buys any and all used books that are deemed resellable during their store hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no appointments needed.
Whether you want to trade in for cash or get a store credit of higher value, The Next Page is looking out for student bank accounts and textbook demands.
Open Library
If you want a reliable option for digital texts at the comfort of your screen, look no further than Internet Archive.
Internet Archive is renowned for its open library, which offers free and accessible books for daily users. Creating an account is easy and free, and the content is legal and secure. They offer a range of media, including books, textbooks, movies, playscripts, software, music, and more.
In addition, there are plenty of search functions to locate texts quickly, making it the best resource to use in a pinch. It also provides the option to highlight, record, or annotate on digital books to assist in content reading and analysis.
AbeBooks
Need to buy your books online, digital or otherwise?
AbeBooks is an online marketplace that specializes in everything from used, rare, and new, to out-of-print and scholarly books. It provides a search function that allows you to filter a single book title based on price and quality. This allows students to choose what they need or can afford, giving them the versatility to select the best options.
Alongside their impressive book selection, AbeBooks also specializes in unique collectables and vintage objects. Perhaps you’ll discover photographs based on the books, a postcard from the 19th century, or a discontinued press magazine.
What makes AbeBooks unique is that it has international branches, with texts and other printed material in multiple languages—there’s a little something for everyone in AbeBooks’ wide selection.
As an added bonus, AbeBooks ships most of their books free to Canadian customers.
Facebook Marketplace
When in doubt, one of the best resources available to students this fall is your peers—why not buy, sell, and exchange books with one another?
Run by students for students, Mount Royal University Buy and Sell is a Facebook marketplace group dedicated to the circulation of textbooks.
Whether you want to post your own books and make some money back, or you are looking to finish off your own textbook list, MRU Buy and Sell offers accessibility and approachability for students looking for books that are specific to MRU courses.
The marketplace even connects you to other MRU groups, which allows you to find major-specific groups that circulate textbooks central to their program, such as the MRU Public Relations Textbook Buy and Sell.
From popping into a bookstore to looking online or searching around campus, there is no shortage of ways to find textbooks and other media that fit your budget and schedule.
