Student Life

Buying and Selling Used Textbooks

Hannah McNemar, Staff Reporter|April 18, 2022

If you are like me, a broke college student who is looking to save money whenever and wherever possible, then let me tell you about the best places to buy used textbooks. If you are not able to find the textbook you need cheaper than the school bookstore and you are strapped for cash, then you can try charging them to your student account to pay for later. You can also try reaching out to other students who have taken the class previously to see if they have a copy, they are willing to sell. Also, go to the library on campus to see if they have a copy of the textbook that you can check out or one to look at while you are there. If you cannot take the book from the library, you can still study with it there or take pictures of the pages you need for later.

If you have a bunch of old textbooks laying around collecting dust and are looking for a little extra change, you can try selling them to the Fairmont State University Bound for Success Bookstore or online. If your textbook is sadly not worth anything, then you can try donating it to the Ruth Ann Musick Library or to your local library. You can also try reaching out to the professor and seeing if they would like to have an extra copy of the textbook in case a future student may need it. Some residence halls have an area where you can leave unwanted books for others to take. There is a space in the North Lobby of UT by the mailboxes.

Here are a few websites where you can buy and sell textbooks by searching for the textbook using its ISNB number that is usually located near the barcode. Some of them are easier to use then others, but the list is as follows.