Archive: Groups sponsor book co-op to save money for students

If students haven’t bought their books for this semester yet, then two campus groups say they have a price to pick with them.

The Undergraduate Student Government and the Association of Residence Hall Students are sponsoring a book co-op designed to save students from the burden of paying for the bookstores’ profits.

Students can pick reasonable prices for selling their books, which will be resold at the same price by the co-op, said USG Senator Mike King.

“The national used book companies are making a fortune off of students,” said USG Town Senator Chris Furlo. “This is just an alternative way to buy and sell your books. The bookstores have to be creative in making money, and we’re being creative in saving students money.”

ARHS member Michelle Singleton said the group is not looking to make a profit — it aims to pay students more than the bookstores for buy-backs, then resell the texts cheaper than the stores.

Students sell their books back before the holidays, which creates an obstacle for the co-op, she said.

Norm Brown, manager of the Student Book Store, 330 E. College Ave., said he supports the groups’ efforts, but does not think the co-op will affect the bookstore’s usual buy-backs.

“We are quite supportive of them,” Brown said. “They are entrepreneurs doing their own things.”

Elaine Keegan (freshman-liberal arts) said she bought her books at the bookstore to avoid hassle.

“I wanted to get it all out of the way at once,” Keegan said. “I think the co-op would have been a pain in the butt. They probably wouldn’t have all the books for my classes and I know the bookstore should.”

The book supply grows each time a student come grows each s to sell back a book, Furlo said, adding that the co-op covers a wide variety of subjects.

“We get more books every time somebody walks in,” he said. “I think that by the end of the day today, we will have most of what we need covered.”

Eric Keifer (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said he used the co-op to save some money.

“Why wouldn’t I use it? If I save only five bucks, that’s five bucks I wouldn’t have if I would have gone downtown,” he said. “Even if they didn’t have all of my books, I will save something on what I bought here and I’ll get the rest downtown.”

Furlo said he was pleased with opening day.