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THIS PAGE HAS BEEN CREATED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS
THAT ARE FREQUENTLY ASKED BY EUP FACULTY MEMBERS
1) Why do we have to turn in textbook orders so early in the semester?
Most instructors refer to their textbook requisitions as "orders". We refer to them as "adoptions" or "requisitions". The reason we don't refer to them as "orders" is because returning your requisition does NOT generate an order right away. The main reason we ask for textbook information so early in the term is that it helps us plan our buyback - which is the first step in the Textbook Cycle.
2) What is the textbook cycle?
Please refer to the diagram below to see the main events of the Textbook cycle:
This cycle begins with the bookstore sending out the following terms Textbook Requisitions. We base our inventory needs (and hence, buyback quantities) on the returned Textbook Requisitions. We do not buy back books for the store that have not been "adopted" or "requisitioned" for the next term. In essence, faculty control buyback prices because students receive more money back for adopted textbooks. Timely submission of a requisition or adoption is important for three reasons:
1) Students receive more money (during buyback) for books that are needed by the bookstore for the next term (50 - 66% of the original price they paid for the book).
2) This is a quick and less expensive source of books for the store. This also allows us to offer used (and cheaper) books to the students the next time around - which helps keep educational costs in check.
3) Faculty members will have their required course materials on the shelf more quickly!
Any books that are not acquired during buyback must be ordered and received in by bookstore personnel- which is a process that is more expensive and time consuming. It is much easier to buy the books back from the students and place them on the shelves for sale. Buyback is a "win/win" situation for students, the bookstore and the faculty but it takes active involvement from all EUP faculty members. Your timely submission of a requisition allows us to stock the shelves quickly and ensure that less expensive used books are available for the next semester.
* Textbook buyback is a very complicated process. For more detailed information concerning textbook buyback, CLICK HERE to access the buyback page on this website.
3) Why are textbooks so expensive?
The market determines textbook prices. The shelf price of a textbook is so high because the publishers charge us a high price for the book. Most people think that the cause of high prices is due to the high mark-up applied by the bookstore. In actuality, the mark-up percentage on textbooks (and required course materials) is much lower than the other products carried in the bookstore. At Edinboro, the mark-up percentage on textbooks is lower than the national average and in-line with the average of the other SSHE schools.
* For more information about why publishing costs on textbooks are so high, CLICK HERE to access information reported by a THIRD PARTY group on why the cost of textbooks are rising so quickly.
4) If your mark-up is so low, why can students find cheaper books online?
When comparing textbook prices, make sure you are comparing "apples to apples". Comparing Campus Bookstore prices to half.com or amazon.com are not fair comparisons - The reason being: those sites are matching up individual sellers of books with individual buyers. These individual sellers can assign any value they wish to the books that they are selling, even if it amounts to a loss to them individually. Businesses can't and won't operate this way. This type of comparison is akin to asking why your next door neighbor is selling his beat up Chevy for less than Hallman's Chevrolet. The price may indeed be cheaper, but there is a reason for the price discrepancy. There are some business' that sell to students on sites such as half.com but their prices tend to be just as high (or higher) than the shelf prices at the bookstore. Interestingly enough, sometimes the prices that students sell their books for on half.com are MORE than the shelf price of a used book here at the store!
We live in a world wide market. The internet allows customers to comparison shop for all kinds of products. Students are free to purchase their books wherever they wish - if they can get a better price elsewhere than they will most likely purchase elsewhere. The bookstore does not consider websites that match up buyers and sellers as comparable competition because we do not operate under the same economic conditions as these sites. Our competition is the brick and mortar business (or businesses) that sells textbooks directly to customers - and we are more than competitive with these entities. The fact that online sites (that match up buyers and sellers) exist is a fact of life in the textbook industry. The Campus Bookstore does everything within its power to keep prices competitive. We have to be competitive or we would sell no books!
The Campus Bookstore also offers these advantages over our "online competition":
1) The ability for the student to use Financial Aid funds to purchase their books (if they meet certain criteria).
2) The ability to see the product they are purchasing before buying it.
3) There is no shipping charge or sales tax associated with the purchase.
4) The convenience of "one stop shopping".
5) The convenience of being able to quickly and easily return the book during the specified return period - and receive full value back.
6) The satisfaction of knowing that the money spent at the bookstore stays on campus and benefits the students of Edinboro University.
5) How does spending money at the bookstore benefit Edinboro students?
The Campus Bookstore is operated by Edinboro University Services, Inc.-(USI). USI is legally classified as a 501c (3) non-profit corporation. INCOME GENERATED BY THE BOOKSTORE IS USED TO UNDERTAKE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. To view the USI home page and learn more about USI, CLICK HERE.
To access our current booklist CLICK HERE.
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