This semester, Dickinson adopted a new system for buying textbooks. I have noticed several faults within the system, and many Dickinson students with whom I have talked are also disappointed with the change. Although there are issues with this new system, I do not hold the problems against the employees of the Dickinson Bookstore, who are helpful and friendly people. However, I  am entitled to my opinions, even if the issues can be explained as “growing pains.” 

With the new textbook-buying system, a good question to ask ourselves is,  “How do students benefit from these changes?” It seems we gain little, and I would argue that we actually lose a lot. 

One issue with the online system is the prices, many of which are inflated by enormous shipping costs. I am not the first college student to complain about textbook prices, but having to pay five, 10, or 20 dollars on top of the cost for each book is frustrating. 

“Now, Michael,” you might ask, “why didn’t you just buy your textbooks early in order to pick the cheapest shipping options?”  Well, that is the second flaw with the new system — it appears that many professors did not opt to tell the bookstore early what textbooks are required for their courses. Although I had already purchased the books that were listed on the Bookstore’s website, I learned on the first day of classes that I needed to buy several more books that were not listed online. In the past, if a similar situation arose, a student could purchase these missing books immediately in the bookstore. But with the new system, we have to pay for shipping and wait at least a week. For students who switch classes, flexibility is totally negated, and a week without a textbook can spell months of feeling behind. 

Why even buy textbooks using this inefficient new system, anyways? Most of my friends found cheaper, faster-arriving options on Amazon. In the past, one advantage of using the bookstore was that you could use Devil Dollars from the Flex meal plan to purchase textbooks. Many students, myself included, switched meal plans to accommodate textbook purchases. Imagine our dismay when the school transitioned to the current textbook buying system where you cannot use Devil Dollars to buy books. In addition to the hefty meal plan prices, students now face increased textbook prices. I do not need any more spirit gear — I have enough Dickinson t-shirts — so I want to use my money to buy books for the classes I pay for. 

While it is easy for me to complain, I hope that Dickinson can acknowledge that students have lost a lot of flexibility with the new textbook system. The new way of selling class materials might be more efficient for the college itself, but that doesn’t mean it should be accepted without complaint.