Stuff You Should Know
We often hear complaints from faculty and students that textbook prices are too high and why doesn’t the store pick cheaper books? The Bookstore is not involved in textbook selection. Your professors spend many hours reviewing dozens, maybe hundreds, of books to find just the right ones for your courses. The professors then tell the store which books to order.
Novels and other books don’t cost as much as textbooks. Textbooks are not like novels or general-interest non-fiction books, which can be sold to a broad audience. Most textbooks are specialized and will be purchased by only a relatively small number of people. Also, textbooks require considerably more time and effort to develop. To ensure accuracy, they must undergo rigorous academic review and fact checking, and must be updated every few years to stay current.
Your Bookstore does put a lot of effort into keeping textbook prices as affordable as possible. Following are some tips to how you can get your professors to help keep textbook costs down:
1. Order textbooks for next semester before buyback
2. Not require customized textbooks
3. Not require texts bundled with extra materials
4. Not require new editions that only have minimal changes
JUST THE FACTS
- The Student Union Bookstore generates $14 million of the Student Union’s $18 million budget. These monies support the Union’s operations, programs and services, including the much-utilized Campus Life division. Approximately 1/3 of Campus Life allocations come from Bookstore net revenues.
- On new texts, the Bookstore operates on a 20 percent gross margin. The national average is 25.5 percent. The Bookstore makes a concentrated effort to keep the margin low, in order to keep costs as low as possible for students.
- During the past school year, the Bookstore put almost $1.5 million back into the hands of OSU students through the textbook buyback process.
- During the past couple of years, the Bookstore has been able to assist with the funding of some of the Student Union’s important capital projects:
- Updates to the Student Union’s fourth floor which includes student lounges and student programming/activity areas:
- Renovation of the North and South Food Courts
- Renovation of the south basement entrance
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: When shoud I buy my books??
A: Buy your books as soon after the bursar charges are allowed for that semester to maximize the number of used books available. Also be sure that your professors have submitted their required books list. You can reserve your textbooks for free through the textbook reservation program available through the Student Union Bookstore by completing the attached form. Waiting until aftet the first week of classes can be problematic if texts are sold out. If you will not be using a particular book, it can be returned for a full refund (see return policy question below). Waiting to purchase books can cost you more money because used textbooks often sell out long before new textbooks.
Q: Should I buy new or used textbooks?
A: This depends on your personal preference and budget. Used textbooks typically cost 25 percent less, but have been highlighted and written in by previous students.
Q: Can I write or highlight in my textbooks?
A: We do not recommend highlighting in excess if you plan on selling the textbook back when the semester is finished. Once you purchase the book, you own the book and can do with it as you please. However, textbooks must be in good condition to be bought back and resold.
Q: What is the Student Union Bookstore return policy?
A: You may return a book you don’t need during the first 10 days of spring or fall semester classes (five days of summer classes) for a full refund provided you did not write in the book. No returns will be accepted after a given date. Credit is given according to the initial method of payment. For example, if the textbook was bought on a Bursar account, your Bursar account will be credited.
Q: What is the Student Union Bookstore’s buyback policy?
A: If the professor has informed the Bookstore that your textbook will be used the following semester, the Bookstore buys textbooks back for 50 percent of new retail price. If the professor has not submitted the information, or if the textbook is not going to be used the following semester, it may be bought back at wholesale value.
Q: How do I charge my purchase on my bursar account?
A: With a valid student ID, you may charge up to $500 of textbooks and educational supplies during the semester. The minimum amount you can charge is $5, and charges are accepted until the last three to four weeks of the semester. All charges are placed on your Bursar account, which should be paid off each semester.