Student Senate works with Texts.com to make textbooks cheaper for students.
Ohio University students trade their clothes and food, and now, a website is making it easier to trade their textbooks.
Texts.com is a website that allows students from different colleges and universities to buy and sell textbooks to their fellow classmates, as well as compare prices at other book buying sites, such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
According to its website, Texts.com works directly with student government associations at more than 1,300 colleges and universities across the country, which included OU.
“They approached (Gabby Bacha, the president of Student Senate), and she did a lot of research on, like, whether they are a reliable company, make sure we're not getting scammed for this,” Jared Ohnsman, the vice-president of Student Senate, said.
He added that the website is free to use for students, senate and the university. The way that Texts.com makes money is through the advertisement of textbooks at different websites in the comparison portion of the website.
“This way you can get a better price for your book,” Ohnsman said. “Students can pay a little less because they aren’t paying what they would have paid to get it sent to them. It’s more sustainable, and it’s safer because you can only use it if you have an OU email address.”
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Jordan Kelley, a junior working on a bachelor’s of specialized studies and a member of senate, has an account on Texts.com and has listed some textbooks for sale.
“It’s a really great initiative,” Kelley said. “It’s a really good way for students to give back to other students, which I think is really important.”
Though he has not bought a book from a fellow student, Kelley said, he used the price making section to find a book at the cheapest price from online distributors.
According to Texts.com, 122 students at OU have made accounts and 199 books are listed as of press time.
Nick Atz, a freshman studying Media Arts and Studies, said he was planning on buying textbooks this semester but wasn’t aware of Texts.com.
“I’d probably check out the bookstore, just so it’s, like, quicker to get it in person,” Atz said. “But if that doesn’t, work I might check it out.”
McKenna Day, a sophomore studying psychology, said she found out about the website from a post on Facebook, but she’d rather buy her books in person.
“I think it’s a good idea for anyone who wants to save money on books,” Day said. “But I’m too impatient, so I have to have my books right then and there (at the bookstore).”
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