NYPIRG provides affordable textbooks

	Joel Kelsey, NYPIRG member, adds a textbook title to the list of available books the organization is holding for purchase or exchanging. Enlarge

By Jessika Pasko, Copy Editor

For several years now, the New Paltz chapter of NYPIRG has offered the opportunity for students to buy and sell textbooks without having to go through a middle man. Although this service has been made available for awhile now, most New Paltz students have little awareness of it.

"I am a transfer this year and although I didn't know about the NYPIRG book buyback, it's definitely something I would be interested in," junior Meighan McDougall said.

According to NYPIRG Project Coordinator Rhonda Belluso, the process is relatively simple. Students should stop by the NYPIRG office, located in room 322 of the Student Union Building, and fill out an application listing textbooks they would like to sell, as well as textbooks they are looking to purchase. These applications go into a file. Anyone who wishes to purchase used books need only look through the applications to find students who are selling the books they need, Belluso said. There are similar systems available at other colleges that save students up to hundreds of dollars.

Kari Oesterreich, a sophomore, commented on her experiences with trying to sell books back at the campus bookstore. "I had a textbook that was in really good condition that originally cost me $45, however, all I received in return was seven dollars."

Currently the book exchange process has been rather slow-going at New Paltz. However, "we are in the process of setting it (the book buying system) up online," said Belluso. This will make it even more accessible to students to buy and sell textbooks, offering them the opportunity to do so even from their own rooms.

Jamie Varriale, a sophomore, said that "It (the NYPIRG book exchange) is something that I would like to say I'd take part in, however, to be perfectly honest, I'm lazy." However, Varriale added that if the service were available online, she would be much more apt to actually use it. NYPIRG is also working on affiliating the book buy back system with Student Government which will only make the service more widely available and hopefully, raise student awareness.

The prices are up to the students to negotiate, said Belluso. This service not only allows students to avoid being overcharged by the campus bookstore, but it also allows students to help each other out. For more information call the NYPIRG office at 257-3085.