The University of Toronto predicts that the average undergraduate can expect to spend more than $1,000 on books and supplies per year. While this figure certainly varies depending on your area of study, it is not an exaggeration; the textbook for AST101, The Cosmic Perspective, for example, costs $132.95 new from the U of T Bookstore. It is small wonder that many students are looking at less expensive options — such as renting textbooks, or buying used.
For some, perusing the used bookshelves at the U of T Bookstore is the extent of the bargain hunt. These second-hand texts are marked down, but subject to availability. Other students look to the Discount Textbooks Store, which sells new books with a five per cent discount on the price at the U of T Bookstore. Although the Discount Textbooks Store also stocks used volumes, availability is limited compared to the U of T Bookstore.
There are also cost-effective ways to buy online; Amazon.ca prices The Cosmic Perspective at $21.27 used and $65 new. Websites such as the Toronto University Students’ Book Exchange (tusbe.com), which is undergoing maintenance but is scheduled to be up and running for September, as well as torbok.com and coursetexts.ca offer even more savings. All three sites operate as user-friendly bulletin boards for textbook exchanges, and include students from other universities in Toronto. Prices are set at the seller’s discretion, and Torbok allows the seller to denote a ‘fixed’ or ‘negotiable’ price. On Torbook, The Cosmic Perspective is for sale from $15 up to $75.
The University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu) runs its own online book exchange, with membership restricted to full-time students at the U of T’s St. George and Mississauga campuses. The site requires a Canadian Federation of Students Services account and is less convenient than simply joining a group dedicated to connecting buyers and sellers via social media. The University of Toronto Textbook Exchange group on Facebook has over 4,000 members and receives new listings every day. However, it is less organized and more cumbersome than the tusbe and Torbok because of its lack of a search function.
Due to the necessity of arranging a meeting with a complete stranger on an unfamiliar campus, first years may prefer to rent their textbooks. The U of T Bookstore’s rental scheme promises savings of up to 70 per cent. Under the scheme, readers are permitted to highlight words and phrases as well as write marginal notes, as long as the book is returned by the due date. The drawback is that there are fewer books, and payments are only accepted via credit card. If you are unable to rent a textbook, both the U of T Bookstore and the Discount Textbooks Store allow you to sell previously purchased books back to them at up to 50 per cent and 52.5 per cent of the original price respectively.
The array of options mean that it is definitely possible to save on some, if not all, textbook purchases.
