Shelling out hundreds of dollars for new textbooks is no longer the only option for students, thanks to Web-based services like BooksForSchool.ca. The site enables students from across Canada to buy and sell their used textbooks for much better prices than their campus bookstores offer.
The idea for the Web site arose in 2003 when three Toronto students, two at York University and one at Ryerson University, became exasperated with the poor buyback prices offered at their campus bookstores. They launched BooksForSchool.ca as a way to connect students with the books they need without a middleman taking a commission.
"It's a similar situation to tuition increases," said Mike Levine, a fourth-year Ryerson student and CEO and co-founder of BooksForSchool.ca. "Students are paying such high prices for their education, they'll go anywhere other than the bookstore to find a better deal. Being students [ourselves], we go through the same issues other students do with regards to textbooks. It's not fair anymore. This is our way of fighting back."
With several thousand members already and hundreds more joining every day, it seems other students feel the need to fight back, too.
"The response has been incredible," Levine said. "Some members have sold as many as 10 texts in a week."
Besides its function as a literary marketplace, the site places a strong emphasis on networking and developing relationships with other students in similar academic programs. Underclassmen can connect with older students who provide insight and advice on courses or programs, and members can create profiles and share information. This information is intended to establish a level of trust between buyers and sellers, and dispel some of the skepticism surrounding online exchanges.
"One of the problems [with buying and selling online] is that you don't know what you're dealing with," said Levine. "On the profile page, students can upload a picture and provide their first and last name. There are added levels of trust."
