Be Book Smart
Let us help you avoid breaking the bank on your books!
We've got resources, tips & tricks for what to do at the beginning of a class, how to get the books you need, and how to save money on them, too.
Textbooks are one of the largest expenses for students after tuition, rent and food. 80% of students at the University of Alberta think they’re paying too much for textbooks, shelling out an estimated $1750 per year. Over 75% of students have chosen not to buy textbooks due to costs.
Information for Students
Search Online
Search the net for free options. Open Access materials, books in the public domain, and other online resources are widely available at no cost. Try the Gutenberg project, or your favourite search engine. The internet public library is no longer being updated but may still be useful.
Talk to your Professors about their course materials
Professors are the primary decision-makers when it comes to your textbooks. Ask them if they have ever thought of using alternative materials such as; customized course packs, reading lists, or Open Educational Resources (OERs). An OER is a Free, Online resource for students and Faculty which can be built or modified specifically for your course in order to better tie in with course content. Most importantly ask your professor how often you’ll use the textbook throughout the course or your degree.
Find out if the course textbooks are mandatory
Some courses will have optional textbooks. It’s worth asking your Professor or your peers if the book is mandatory before you buy it. Check in with your friends who have taken the course and see how much they used the textbook.
Borrow from the Library
The University of Alberta Library has many of the required course textbooks available for short term loan, or online. They also have books on every academic subject out there. Check their online resources, and if they don't have a copy of the book you’re looking for you can always submit a request to add the textbook to their collection. It may be worth searching up individual chapters for some textbooks as often chapters can be published as papers by themselves! Another option is to try the Edmonton Public Library.
Share with a Friend
Why not buy your book and share it with a friend in the same section? It cuts your costs in half, and gives you someone to study with. If you both need the book at the same time, you can make photocopies of the sections you need.
Ask About Older Editions
There may not be a substantial difference between previous editions and the one you’re supposed to buy. Ask your professor if you can use an old edition and if they can provide you with page numbers or required content from the newer edition. Publishers have a financial incentive to constantly produce new editions, as it helps limit used textbook sales, but constantly revised textbooks may not be necessary for all your classes. This website actually compares different textbook editions that you can check out.
Buy Used
Buying and selling used books is a great way to keep costs low and give money back to other students. You can try local used book stores, the U of A Bookstore, and secondhand Marketplaces like Facebook and Kijiji. Check prices if you're required to purchase access codes separately, though, as sometimes publishers bundle them with new textbooks to reduce the value of used books.
Buy from a Classmate
It’s likely that a U of A student has already taken your class, and is selling the book that you need at a low price. Check the campus bulletin boards, the UASU Used Book Registry, the UAlberta Used Books Facebook page, Books2Go, or Faculty Association used book sales. Or put a call out on Facebook or Twitter to see if anyone has an old copy they don’t want any more.
Try an eBook
Save on paper! Check Campus eBookstore, Amazon, Google Books, Google Play, VitalSource, or Kobo for eBooks. Be careful, though, eBooks may not always be cheaper, and some rentals may expire before your course is over.
Shop Around
The Bookstore at the U of A isn’t the only place you can buy your textbooks. Check out the websites and prices of a few competitors first. Online retailers like Amazon, AbeBooks and eBay often have lower prices. You can also try Indigo, or even a bookstore at another University in the city. Some textbooks can even be purchased directly from the publisher, so check their website, too. It may also be worthwhile to email the author if you can find their contact information! Oftentimes authors would love to share their work if you ask.
Textbooks form 15.4% of the average student’s educational costs
The University of Alberta recommends that students should budget $1200 per year for academic materials. That's almost as much as a month's worth of rent, or a semester's worth of groceries.
Many instructors remember when textbooks were much more affordable and are already doing their best to help keep costs down for students.
We fully support our instructors’ right to choose their teaching materials. With students and professors working together we can do more to ensure that academic materials remain both high-quality and affordable teaching tools!
Be Book Smart FAQ
While authors receive a portion of the revenue from textbooks, publishers have predatory practises that force high costs on students. Constantly changing editions limits the sale of used books, and bundling textbooks with supplemental online material like access codes reduces the overall value of the books. Publishers will also lobby instructors by providing them with free copies or assignments and online activities which save them time. UASU studies have shown that textbook costs have grown at 290% the rate of inflation since 1995.
As a student, check out these tips to save yourself money. Most importantly, start a dialogue with your professors about the cost of academic materials - let them know how it impacts you and what you prefer. Even include it in the comments of your professor evaluations. As a professor, take the time to work with the Bookstore to find low-cost quality options for your students. If you're interested in advancing the dialogue locally and internationally on textbook costs, email vp.academic@su.ualberta.ca.
In 1995, survey data showed that over 90% of students were dissatisfied with the cost of textbooks. In following years, the UASU lobbied for greater oversight over the campus Bookstore, and created customized coursepacks. Provost Doug Owram crated the Bookstore Advisory Group, which became defunct in the late 2000s, but was restarted in 2011.
In 2008 and 2009 the UASU was active in national roundtables on academic materials, including the NART and CRAM conferences. The UASU has consistently advocated for lower margins and a more efficient Bookstore, since any additional costs are passed on to students.
The UASU submission to the current Bookstore strategic plan can be found here.
Students only have to buy textbooks if their instructors order them. Professors can choose to use library materials, open access works, coursepacks, eBooks, or eClass resources. Some professors may not be aware of how much money students are spending on textbooks.
No. 96% of students think that thorough and helpful academic materials are important to the academic experience. 78% of students say that they know they'll do worse in class if they can't purchase their textbooks. The UASU is advocating for both students and professors to be smart book purchasers - to consider value and alternatives. The UASU is actively advocating for ways to reduce the costs to students including increasing accessibility of eBooks, development of open educational resources, and by producing course packs at low costs for students.