Textbooks - where and when?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Wisconsin
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<p>I would like to have my D order her textbooks now -- and allow us some time to shop around since we're paying for books. I thought there was a new initiative to make sure students had access to book lists prior to school starting. I don't want to do the work for her. She says there's nothing available yet. I couldn't really find anything on the UW site but I did find information on textbooks on the UW Bookstore web site and the Underground Textbook Exchange website. Can these sites be trusted? I believe the UW bookstore gets their information directly from UW. So, can I trust that the books they show as available for a course are the correct books, correct editions, etc?</p>

<p>Does anyone have any suggestions regarding where and when to buy books? It just seems like ordering them now leaves one less thing to do once school starts and makes sure she's prepared with all the materials she needs right when classes begin. </p>

<p>I don't need one more thing to nag her about but I think this is a fairly simple thing to accomplish. She's only taking 5 courses. </p>

<p>Thanks for your help.</p>

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<p>The information is in the Student Center portion of the UW website. Your daughter can log in at wisc.edu, then click ‘My UW’, click ‘Student Center’, click ‘Course Enrollment’, click ‘Term Information’, click ‘Textbooks’, click ‘Fall 2010-2011’ (and click ‘continue’), then she should see the list of Textbooks/course materials.</p>

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<p>The UW Bookstore is excellent and trustworthy. I would urge you to use them if possible. It has been a UW supporter for generations.</p>

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<p>Recent grad here. After the years I spent at UW, I ended up finding it made absolutely no sense buying textbooks before classes began. Usually on the first day of classes you’d find out which on the course list were simply “recommended” vs. “required.” Also, I rarely had the same schedule 2 weeks before classes started as I did 2 weeks after, due to trying to make changes in the first week’s “shuffle.”</p>

<p>The first year I used UW Bookstore, then I discovered how I could basically pay 1/3-1/2 the price on Amazon. I’m an Amazon Prime member so I got free 2-day shipping and they were usually here by the 2nd session of my classes.</p>

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<p>Thanks Madison85. I guess that is where she looked. When she said she couldn’t find any information on textbooks, she apparently meant she found the right place to look but only one of her classes had any information posted. The rest all said: The instructor has not yet provided textbook information for this section.</p>

<p>So, I do find it interesting that if this the official place to get textbook information, how can the UW Bookstore and others list “required” books already? Very confusing to me. </p>

<p>MNBadger - I would like to compare prices between the local on-site stores with the on-line stores (Amazon, B&N, etc.). That’s why I wanted to be able to do it now (really make her do it now). Oh well, I guess we can just go with the flow (which is her style anyway).</p>

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<p>I think the confusion comes from the history behind it. Here, professors have for years chosen where they want to have their books listed and sold, or where their course readers would be printed. I’ve never heard of a “university-endorsed” bookstore, where everything was sold for every class. Gosh that’d be an incredible place, though. A brilliant Barnes & Noble, even. </p>

<p>It’s really interesting to see the variety between departments and some of the more “socially conscious” options that are available tend to be supported by the more “liberal” fields. The first time I had to buy textbooks as a freshman, I saw two classes listed as “only available” at Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative on the Syllabi. Being that I was naive, I followed the instructions, for each class, two listed at University Bookstore and two at Rainbow. Now, I was entirely funding my own education and working 40-60 hours a week on top of class to do it. The prices at Rainbow, however meant to compensate for negative externalities, were infeasible on my income. Thankfully, they now too have full course lists so you can find the prices. </p>

<p>Here are the major textbook retailers on campus and their online text departments (where you can narrow down by professor/subject into specific class sections). Just locate yours from class schedule/student center, copy/paste ISBN’s into Amazon, instantly compare and make an educated choice on where you’d like to place your dollars!</p>

<p>UW Bookstore: [The</a> University Book Store Textbook Dept.](<a href=“http://text.uwbookstore.com/home.aspx]The”>http://text.uwbookstore.com/home.aspx)
Located at the campus end of state street, basically on library mall. Huge inventory of great apparel and badger items upstairs.</p>

<p>Underground Textbook Exchange: [Welcome</a> | :: Underground Textbook Exchange ::](<a href=“textbookunderground.com - This website is for sale! - textbookunderground Resources and Information.”>http://www.textbookunderground.com/)
For a while during my sophomore year, this place really had some traction. I’m not entirely sure nowadays how they’re doing, I always found their pricing to be almost identical to UW Bookstore while feeling more sketchy. North side of state street, near Chipotle.</p>

<p>A room of one’s own feminist bookstore: [A</a> Room Of One’s Own Books & Gifts | Your Local Independent Bookstore Since 1975](<a href=“http://www.roomofonesown.com/]A”>http://www.roomofonesown.com/)
Awesome selection, incredible books. I’m a guy, but I’m actually find some in the family section to be absolutely fascinating, books on raising kids, parenting, and a variety of subject areas, from perspectives I probably would never have encountered had I never checked out the store. That being said, I’ve found a lot of the staff to be pretty cranky. Not sure what that’s about. Corner of Johnson and State.</p>

<p>Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative: [Rainbow</a> Bookstore Cooperative… A Resource Center for the Left Since 1989 | Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative](<a href=“http://www.rainbowbookstore.org/]Rainbow”>http://www.rainbowbookstore.org/)
Small location on W. Gilman near University Ave. Highly priced. Whoa. I wish I could remember comparisons. </p>

<p>Additionally, “Beat the Bookstore” opened last year, at State and Frances, no idea how that’s doing.</p>

<p>I hope this has been helpful and was what you were looking for!</p>

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<p>Just did a check. You can still easily get information from the University Bookstore textbook site- course #, prof, etc. specific info. ISBN # is listed so you can use it to shop elsewhere. Even if you do choose to wait you can at least get an idea of the general cost. Excellent links in post #6! Eons ago Browns was on the corner of State near University Bookstore as their rival, they folded but others have opened. Good to have multiple sources/competition.</p>

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<p>Is it smarter to just buy the international edition?
For example: [Chemistry</a> Chemical Reactivity by Gabriela C. Weaver, John C. Kotz, John R. Townsend, Paul M. Treichel Jr., Paul Treichel 2008, Hardcover - Get great deals on items on eBay.com!](<a href=“http://catalog.ebay.com/Chemistry-Chemical-Reactivity-Gabriela-C-Weaver-John-C-Kotz-John-R-Townsend-Paul-M-Treichel-Jr-Paul-/63101626?_npmv=3&_pcatid=4&_trksid=p4295.m570.l1313&_rdc=1]Chemistry”>http://catalog.ebay.com/Chemistry-Chemical-Reactivity-Gabriela-C-Weaver-John-C-Kotz-John-R-Townsend-Paul-M-Treichel-Jr-Paul-/63101626?_npmv=3&_pcatid=4&_trksid=p4295.m570.l1313&_rdc=1)</p>

<p>This chemistry book is around 55 dollars + shipping. And buying a used one on amazon is 137.</p>

<p>Is there any difference between the U.S. and international editions?</p>

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<p>^International editions are typically soft cover and have poor sell-back options. From my experience, the international editions have the exact same content, but you’re typically stuck with them after the semester. </p>

<p>To the OP: The book store’s online text department is a great place to find the textbook requirements for next semester. It’s not, however, the cheapest place to buy books. </p>

<p>Once you get the ISBN from my.wisc.edu or the book store, you can search for the best online prices here: [Get</a> Textbooks | New Textbooks | Used Textbooks | College Textbooks - GetTextbooks.com](<a href=“http://www.gettextbooks.com/]Get”>http://www.gettextbooks.com/)</p>

<p>Also, it’s usually worth attending class once before buying texts. If the class isn’t using textbook questions, you can usually buy earlier editions of the texts used. On Amazon, these often sell used $5-10 instead of $100+. In other cases, the text simply isn’t required.</p>

<p>The advantages of brick and mortar bookstores are dwindling…Amazon and others offer convenient return policies, and the Amazon marketplace would allow you to resell your books at the end of the semester.</p>

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<p>Paul Treichel’s name was familiar from my UW undergrad days so I looked him up- he’s now an emeritus professor in the UW Chemistry dept. The Chem dept is ranked highly- ? top 10 in the US and known worldwide. Don’t know anything about the textbook, however. Email the prof teaching your class and ask your question about the international edition.</p>

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<p>Does Amazon support the UW in any way? Can you look the through the books at Amazon to see if you might be interested in taking the class? It’s not always about saving a few bucks.</p>

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<p>University Bookstore is profitable enough. It is private enterprise and doesn’t deserve charity from poor students if their prices aren’t competitive. Using that logic all students living off campus should eat at Res Halls facilities to support them… at least they are not for profit and money they make directly benefits students. BTW- Kohls Dept stores will have plenty of Badgers clothing, as will many other local stores (Herb Kohl, currently a state senator, started Kohls -home office in Menominee Falls outside of Milwaukee).</p>

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<p>If you want to support UW, then buy books at Amazon, and donate the price differential between Amazon and the book store to UW. Problem solved–and you went around the private, for-profit middleman.</p>

<p>Also, Amazon offers free “viewing” of texts they sell.</p>

<p>Like I said, the advantages of brick and mortar are quickly dwindling. I was merely offering a suggestion that the OP might consider. If you enjoy shopping for books at the book store, then please do so. Let’s not pretend that you’re helping anyone out.</p>

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<p>I believe Amazon is a publicly traded company making huge profits–not a dime of which goes to the UW.</p>

<p>“Twenty undergraduates out of 63 applicants will receive the University Book Store Academic Excellence Awards, a $1,000 award provided by the University Book Store. The award is granted to undergraduate students who demonstrated excellence by completing a project through independent study.:”</p>

<p>This is just one of many ways the bookstore gives back to the UW. All profits of the bookstore stay in Madison. Not in Seattle</p>

<p>The UW bookstore also provides handy employment to many UW students. How many jobs does Amazon have in Wisconsin? Companies like Amazon cheat the state out of millions in sales taxes that could go a long way to help the always hurting state budget and the UW. </p>

<p>What about all that being “green” stuff young people are so concerned about–shopping locally and all that. Just BS I guess. Not applicable if I can save a few bucks.</p>

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<p>The bookstore is unlikely to become unprofitable if savvy students shop elsewhere. Brown’s was a victim of other sources most likely. Don’t worry about U— Bookstore.</p>

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<p>The book store buys from wholesalers, including Amazon. My first semester I bought books at the UW book store and 2 had receipts from Amazon. Amazon making money isn’t the issue. The question is why we’d want another middleman adding a profit margin to the sales price, when you can buy direct from wholesalers. </p>

<p>You’re right–the book store uses some of its profits to hire Wisconsin residents and offer student awards. By necessity, though, the money you save is more than the money that UW book store offers either employees or students. If the book store is buying from wholesalers like Amazon, then it’d be bankrupt if it handed out more scholarships than it’s stealing from customers. </p>

<p>Like I said, you can use the money you save to fund anything you’d like–including UW, its students, or its residents. The book store merely offers added convenience for students who don’t care about price. They’re exploiting a niche market found in schools where students typically aren’t paying for the books they buy. I don’t see why we should recommend the book store to others.</p>

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<p>You owe those state taxes–if you aren’t paying them it’s fraud. Amazon isn’t the one scamming in these scenarios; they simply aren’t including them in invoices when it’s their legal right not to.</p>

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<p>Amazon has strongly lobbied against collecting proper sales taxes when they easily could do it. Many states are working on changing the law. It might be legal but to me it is still cheating and puts local retailers at an unfair disadvantage.</p>

<p>“If the book store is buying from wholesalers like Amazon, then it’d be bankrupt if it handed out more scholarships than it’s stealing from customers”</p>

<p>If you really believe making a relatively small profit is stealing you are in for a rude welcome to the real world. This country runs on profit and the school you attend was built by the profits that allowed the state to tax people and companies as well as to employ your parents.</p>

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<p>Follow-up article–the beef on prices should be with the book publishers</p>

<p>[The</a> High Cost of Textbooks](<a href=“http://southernlibrarianship.icaap.org/content/v07n02/pollitz_j01.htm]The”>The High Cost of Textbooks)</p>

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<p>This “small profit” (?) comes from a large markup. It costs a lot to maintain a bookstore, and customers pay the price. It’s a completely unnecessary price to pay for cost oriented shoppers who can buy directly from the source. </p>

<p>People pay for different things. When you shop at the bookstore, you pay for someone to collect course information, gather books and stock the shelves, run the store, etc., If you want to pay for all this, then go ahead. I figured maybe the OP wanted cheap versus unneeded “amenities.” </p>

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<p>I agree. This should be changed. This isn’t a reason to support the UW bookstore, however. </p>

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<p>Publishers (with the help of lecturers) are also to blame, no doubt. They keep prices up through unnecessary revisions and new editions. Although, if you support bookstores jacking up prices, I don’t see how you can blame publishers for spewing out new editions when the used text market undermines their business. It’s the same waste.</p>

<p>Or are the small, cute bookstores just more aesthetically pleasing to you than the big, bad publishing companies?</p>

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<p>The bookstore has no choice but to carry the updated editions as the older ones are NLA. The publishers make the choice to put them out at ever higher prices. </p>

<p>What exactly do you think the bookstore markup on texts is? IMHO it is not “large”. Jewelry has a large markup–100% plus. So do cereal and many other goods you buy. The text markup is far less.</p>