Library Reserve and
Exchange Programs

Your university library can offer you a way to get around having to buy a required textbook. If you came up through the public school system you’re accustomed to having your textbooks provided for you. Making the adjustment to having to buy your own books is not much fun. Lets cover two strategies that could give you the opportunity to obtain the use of your required books the old school way.

A lot of professors these days are putting the required text on reserve. What this means is that you can check the book out for a limited time (usually a couple of hours) while you’re in the library studying. If there’s not a lot of assigned reading, or you don’t need to reference the book often, this is a good strategy. If you do need to use the book extensively, and several students are attempting this same approach, it may be difficult to accomplish this strategy for a whole semester. Each semester check with your professors and find out if a copy of the textbook will be placed on reserve. Then determine if it's a viable option for you.

The next strategy is possible if your university participates in a loan or exchange program with other libraries, sometimes called a interlibrary loan. If you find out they do facilitate such a program, research the other libraries involved to see if any of your textbooks are available through the program. If you do find one of your books available, request it. The book will be sent and available for you to check out and take home with you.

Rules may differ at each library; here's a list of questions to ask:

1. Is this type of service available?

2. How long can you check out the requested book?

3. Can you check the book out multiple times before they're required to send it back?

4. What other stipulations do they require to use the service?

If you need books for the hard sciences, they may be difficult to find using this strategy. For many other disciplines you could find that several of your books are available this way. Every book you can avoid purchasing is money in your pocket.

Leave the library page and return to: To Buy, or Not?

or return to: Selling Textbooks





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