Bookstore plans to buy back more books

There will be three new buyback locations this semester.

By Belinda Kocen

Published Nov. 10, 2008

After the rate of textbook acquisitions rose, the bookstore will be able to accept a greater number of textbooks during buy back at the end of the semester.

Last year, the University Bookstore was able to buy back 15,149 total books from students. This year, that number has risen to 23,200 books that the bookstore wants to buy back in order to resell them next semester.

This year, 70 percent of acquisitions were turned in on time, doubling last year's 34 percent.

Students will receive 50 percent of the total cost of the book back if it is going to be used on campus again, said Sherry Pollard, director of Retail Services.

The members of the Course Materials Advisory Committee talked about putting buyback locations at three different places around campus besides Brady Commons. The other locations will be near Gillett and Hudson residence halls, Jones and Lathrop Residence Halls, and at extended campus. The buyback locations will be open from 3 to 9 p.m.

"The times are great because during the day students have class and do not always remember to go by the bookstore to sell their books," MSA Senate Speaker Jonathan Mays said.

The committee is also hoping to have a drawing for prizes such as a $500 textbook scholarship for those who sell their textbooks back to the bookstore Pollard said. For each book a student sells they will receive one raffle ticket for the drawing. Textbook buybacks begin Dec. 8.

"We are trying to make buyback fun and informative," student resources associate director Paul Musket said.

Besides looking at just textbook buybacks, the committee members discussed a new software program they are hoping to implement with faculty. The new software will be used for textbook adoptions and will have a one-click re-adopt option, which would allow professors to simply use the same text they have been using. They will also have the option to adopt new titles, say they are not ready, say they are not teaching the course again and implicate that no books are needed for the course Pollard said. 

The software would allow professors to access the cost information for the materials they are hoping to use, Pollard said.

Biology professor John David suggested the software include the percentage of books that students bought in the previous year as well as a way to contact the bookstore for further questions.

But the committee was worried about professors disregarding the e-mails about textbook adoptions.

"If professors are going to trash the e-mail then they will. There is nothing you can do about it," David said.

Another important issue on the agenda for Friday was the fact that some departments are requesting compensation for custom printed materials used in class.

"The bookstore is not in a position to evaluate if departments should get compensation," Student Auxiliary Services spokeswoman Michelle Froese said.

Pollard said the textbook costs doubled when professors got their materials professionally published instead of having the bookstore print it. Professors sometimes get their material published if they are not allowed compensation for their departments for their material.

Deputy Provost Ken Dean said he has been in a discussion with the provosts from the other MU schools about the rules that were created before custom publications. They are trying to find ways to deal with professors' requests for compensation for their departments he said.