As another semester comes to a close, a familiar ritual thatbrings students extra cash and sometimes frustration will be hereyet again. Brace yourselves -- book buyback time is upon us.
The University Bookstore will officially begin buyback Dec. 5,but the store is already accepting books, said manager Beth Cain.They stop buying back books for the semester Dec. 11, and TigerBooks will stop Dec. 12.
In addition to their location next to the University Center,Cain said the University Bookstore would have trailers set up onCentral Avenue and in the Southern parking lot. Tiger Books willalso have a "drive through" for those students who wish to selltheir books but aren't too keen on leaving their cars.
Cain recommends students sell their books at the UniversityBookstore rather than at Tiger Books because "all our sales benefitThe University of Memphis."
Since they have a contract with The U of M, the UniversityBookstore is contractually obligated to give money to TheUniversity, which amounts to several hundred thousand dollars eachyear.
Marvell Bond, textbook manager for Tiger Books, said Tiger Booksis a private bookstore and therefore under no obligation to givemoney to The University. However, Bond said the store still helpsThe U of M in a variety of ways.
"We make donations all year long," Bond said. "We interact withThe University in more ways than you can count."
Students regularly express frustration during the buybackprocess because the bookstores do not take back certain books, orbecause books are bought back at a much lower price than the pricestudents initially paid.
Cain said much of the problem lies with professors not turningin their book orders for the following semester in time. The storebuys back books for half price if the professor has turned in hisor her order. If not, the price is based on a national average.
Bond said the bookstores have no control over prices, and healso placed the onus on professors.
"It starts with the professor," he said. "If a professor doesn'tturn his book order in, how do I know what I can invest in?"
For their part, University Bookstore representatives have sente-mails to the secretaries of each U of M department, askingprofessors to turn in their book orders. These e-mails have beenfollowed by calls, Cain said.
If professors do get their orders in on time, it's a win-winsituation for both the bookstore and students, Cain said.
"We want to give back money to students," she said. "We wantthose used books."
