Where to Buy Books at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

My very first semester at school, I spent about five hundred dollars on a variety of textbooks. Coming out of high school, where I had to put up a grand total of eight dollars a year for the "One Book One School" program, this came as something of a shock to me. I couldn't really process how a used chemistry book could run me well over two hundred dollars. Of course, I bought all of my books at the Illini Union Bookstore. After all, it's located right next to the quad with the university going to great lengths to advertise it as the "only official bookstore on campus". I could've saved a whole lot of cash if only I'd looked around a little better. So, since you won't have to, I've done the looking around for you. Here we go!

There are three main brick and mortar bookstores on campus. Each store has its own individual strengths and weaknesses, and if you're completely dedicated to buying new books, you'll have to end up shopping at all three. The first and most popular is the Illini Union Bookstore. After what I'd said in the opening paragraph, I may have led you to think that it's an awful bookstore, set up to swindle money from naïve freshmen who just don't know any better. That's not really the truth, though. Although their used book prices are pretty bad, their new book prices tend to be low, although on the overall I'd avoid buying from the Union Bookstore. The only place where it really shines is buybacks, which are very well paid out. Follett's is the second of the three large bookstores on campus, and my least favorite. Its main draw is that it looks really, really pretty. While the other two bookstores are set up rather like warehouses, it's got a really nice décor and feel to it. All of that money's got to come from somewhere, though, and that's in book prices. They're often significantly higher than the prices at the other bookstores for no real reason at all, without buybacks being much better. The only place in which Follett's really stands out is their selection. People usually get the hint about it around sophomore year, meaning that if you really can't find a book or course packet at either one of the other stores, finding it at Follett's is a pretty sure thing. People that joined up with classes late would be best off checking at Follett's before losing hope. The last bookstore's probably my favorite one on campus. It's called TIS, which stands for The Illini Store. The store itself is a little minimal, with the ubiquitous clothing and gift sections, but their book section is where they shine. The new book prices are similar to most of the other stores, as there's not as much control over this, but the used book prices are usually much cheaper than the prices at either of the other stores. In addition, the store has a member rewards program, which gives you an additional 5% off as well as prizes for spending a certain amount at the store. Unless you shop there for every semester between freshman year and graduation, you probably won't earn anything too fancy, but the program's good for a free pizza here and there.

So, I feel like I'm betraying you, reader. I just spent a whole paragraph talking up the good points of the bookstores when it's my personal opinion that they're not worth buying from. What's the alternative? The newly-opened Illini Book Exchange allows students to both buy and sell books online in a craigslist type fashion. Due to the high volume on the site, it's very easy to find exactly what you're looking for at a price that really can't be beaten. I've found books for less than half of what I'd pay at the major bookstores and have even made more selling back the books than I'd paid. There aren't many better feelings in the world.

I hope that these tips and miniature reviews have saved you an arm and a leg in your first or even your third year at school. I'd like to close out with a tiny little PSA. If you have a book which is no longer required by a course and can't be sold back, don't let it languish in a corner of your attic gathering dust and spider eggs. Instead, find one of the several student-run book collection programs and donate your textbook to someone that really needs it. You'll feel like a better person!