A number of Boston University students said they often purchase textbooks online at cheaper prices, but do not frequently use e-books as an alternative.
College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Teddy Meagher said he purchased most of his books on Amazon.com this semester after spending about $600 a semester on textbooks last year at the BU Barnes & Noble.
“I didn’t know any better,” Meagher said. “Last year, I bought them through the [BU] bookstore and it was expensive.”
Meagher said the BU bookstore is easier, but not worth the price.
“[At Barnes & Noble, it] was easy to find the books and buy them, but it was just expensive,” he said. “It’s convenient, just way too expensive.”
This semester, Meagher said he spent only $300 on books, including a $180 textbook that was only available through the BU bookstore.
CAS freshman Erin Pierce said Barnes & Noble is convenient because it almost always has textbooks in stock and carries class packages, although she will try Amazon next semester.
“A lot of people have said the prices are better,” she said.
College of Communication sophomore Conor Ryan said he has purchased most of his books on Amazon.com in the past, but this semester began renting books from Chegg.com.
“I don’t think I’ve bought a book this year,” Ryan said. “[On Chegg.com] you just sign in and they have like the whole list of books — pretty much anything you could need, they have it. Like Amazon.com, you order it and then they just give you a date to send it back.”
Ryan said the books are due back at the end of the semester in December, which does not interfere with studying for finals.
Ryan said he chose Amazon.com in the past because it is a large, reputable website, easy to use and has a wide inventory available.
Ariel Diaz, co-founder and CEO of Boundless, a company that compiles open licensed information into free online course guides for students, said all textbooks are moving toward e-textbooks.
“I think the world, for sure, will go digital,”he said. “Not in less than five years, but not more than 10 years.”Boundless, founded in 2010, is an application for students to access textbook information without purchasing a textbook and is used by students in more 1,000 universities, Diaz said.
On average, a student could spend $1,000 a year on textbooks, Diaz said. Boundless can be applied in addition to buying a textbook or, in some cases, in replacement of one.
“We have students who use [Boundless] instead of assigned textbook because they can get the information through what we provide,” Diaz said.
However, Diaz said Boundless is solely an online source, not a publishing company, so students can only access the information through computers, tablets or smartphones.
“When you ask students whether they prefer e-books or physical books 75 percent say they prefer physical books … this is because they haven’t had a great digital experience,” he said. “But if you poll those who used an iPad or tablet devise, those numbers will inverse.”
However, some students said they likely would not use Boundless as they do not often use e-textbooks.
Pierce said she would prefer a hard copy of a book to a digital version.
“I’ve never considered e-books because I don’t like reading on a screen or a tablet,” Pierce said. “I like having the actual book.”
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