By Allison Jones
This semester’s textbook buyback is close at hand, and students are hoping to receive a little extra cash before the holiday season.
Beginning December 9, students can sell back their textbooks and receive 60 percent of the current new retail price for some of their textbooks.
“No other bookstore does this,” said Brent Laker, assistant director of books at the BYU Bookstore.
“Most universities pay students, at the most, 50 percent of the current retail price for their textbooks,” Laker said.
This semester’s buyback is the biggest in the entire country, Laker said.
Last winter semester, the bookstore paid students 1.6 million dollars for their textbooks.
This semester, the bookstore will pay an estimated 1.7 million dollars at buyback, Laker said.
Students don’t always recognize how much they get back for their books, Laker said.
“I appreciate BYU’s buyback just because other universities don’t give back much money for textbooks,” said Timbre Newby, 20, a junior from Layfayette, Ind., majoring in English teaching.
Laker said the Bookstore is not trying to keep money from students during textbook buybacks.
“We are here to serve students, and we are doing all we can to give back,” Laker said.
Despite the good intentions, buybacks are not free from frustration.
Janeil Lambourne, 21, a senior from Brea, Calif., majoring in accounting, said she has paid hundreds of dollars on textbooks and has not gotten much money back when she tried selling her books.
“It’s disappointing when I have to buy an expensive book, and I can’t sell it back because a professor uses a new edition or switches texts,” Lambourne said.
The Bookstore will pay 60 percent of the current new retail price only for books meeting a specific criteria.
Professors must request textbooks before the buyback.
Laker said faculty members are good at getting textbook requests in on time.
The Bookstore is unable to buy back books once the quota is filled or if the book will no longer be used.
Damaged books, packets with unbound pages and workbooks cannot be bought back.
In situations where the Bookstore cannot buy back a book, it is considered for wholesale buyback.
To beat the rush, Laker recommended that students sell their books as soon as they can.
“The first day of buybacks is always the busiest, but the crowds die down once finals start,” Laker said.
