“The average college textbook cost $105.”
–EducationData.org
College tuition is expensive and on top of tuition, college textbooks aren’t cheap. If you’re looking for ways to save on college textbooks, you are in the right place. Today I am going to share with you how I have been able to save HUNDREDS almost THOUSANDS of dollars on college textbooks.
First thing first, you will need to become best friends with your school’s librarians. This is how you will ultimately save on textbooks. Librarians are extremely resourceful and will go the extra mile to try to get the textbooks/course materials you need. In addition to befriending the librarians, you also will need to look for your textbooks weeks in advance.
Now that we got that covered, let’s jump straight to it. If you are trying to save a coin this semester, try a few of these hacks. Each of these hacks, I have actually used to help me save on textbooks for graduate school.
1.) View your Library’s Course Reserve & Textbook Center
View your Library’s Course Reserve & Textbook Center to see if your professor has course textbooks/materials available for checkout. This is the first thing I do at the start of the semester. I visit my university’s library course reserve webpage and search the courses I am taking for the current semester. I check to see if my professors have made the course textbook available for students to check out. If they have, I submit a request to check out the textbook. Please note that loan periods may vary. Loan periods can be between 2 hours, 2 days, or 2 weeks. It’s all up to the professor and or university on the time frame.
*Pro-tip:
If you don’t see any textbooks available, don’t fret. Contact the professor via email and see if there is a textbook you can borrow for a short period of time.
2.) Utilize your library’s Knowledge Imaging Centers (KIC).
If instructors have made textbooks available and the loan period is only two hours, you want to use the KIC to scan the chapters you are required to read. I have an IG reel posted showing you how I use my university’s KIC machine to scan chapters, be sure to check it out.
3.) Request textbooks/course materials through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
If your university doesn’t have the textbook or course materials, it’s not time to give up and throw in the towel. Now is the time to search and request textbooks through Interlibrary Loan. This platform connects you to a worldwide network of libraries to help you find what you need.
*Pro-tip:
If you use this platform please know that there could be a waiting list for textbooks and the turnaround time could be between 2-3 weeks.
4.) Rent your textbooks.
If you have no success with the options above, rent your textbooks. Textbook rentals are the cheapest route to go. Make sure you read the terms and conditions and return the textbooks on the designated return date.
5.) Stop buying textbooks from the bookstore.
University bookstores are known to have higher prices. Compare textbook prices before you buy. You can usually find books cheaper on Amazon, Chegg, or eBay!
6.)Always opt for used books.
Always opt for used books in good condition before buying new textbooks. Buying new books should be your last resort. I personally only recommend buying new textbooks, to those who will continuously use them during school or after graduation.
I hope these tips help!
❓: Let me know what other things can we do to save on textbooks! Leave a comment down below.
❓❓: Want to know more about the cost of college textbooks, check out this article:
Hanson, Melanie. “Average Cost of College Textbooks” EducationData.org, July 15, 2022, https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college-textbooks