By PHILLIP G. KOPP
Rip staff writer
Long lines are something to be expected during the first week at Bakersfield College, and one of the longest lines descended from the campus bookstore. With an average wait of 45 minutes to an hour to get it in, the frustration built with the knowledge of another line waiting once inside the store. Students complained about lingering in the heat and having to pay for books that almost match the cost of tuition.
Clayton Hollingsead said he paid about $450 for the textbooks he recently purchased.
The bookstore manager, Jennifer Caughron, identifies with students on the high prices and long lines. “We open the store two weeks before the semester starts, and we encourage them to come in early,” Caughron said. “We can only let a certain amount of students in due to the fire-code regulations.”
The BC bookstore is not the only place to get the required books instructors assign. Various less expensive alternatives are known, such as purchasing online, local bookstores, such as Barnes and Noble and Borders, and buying from other students.
James Espitia set up near the bookstore with an overwhelming number of books marked down for sale. Espitia claims to have sold more than 250 books last year, combining his books with those of friends, roommates and his girlfriend.
Noticing that many of his books were in good condition, Espitia didn’t mind selling them cheaper. “It’s a way to get rid of them and make some extra cash,” Espitia said.
“If you sell it back to the store, they will rip you off on the buy-back price,” said Marina Portilla, who was also selling books. “One of my books was over a hundred dollars, and they were going to give me five bucks for it.”
Caughron said that the store buys back books at 50 percent of what the students paid for them. The problem is that when publishers release new editions, the used books have little value to the bookstore and are bought back for much less.
Buying online is one of the more popular methods, where you not only get the required text at a lower price, but it can be also be delivered to your home. The disadvantage is that it’s hard to find the right book at the right price and being able to receive it before class starts.
Some students are using all methods so they can get the books they need. Friends Sierra Zurn and Juliet Fox have been through a regular gantlet, doing everything they can to get their textbooks at a decent price.
“I couldn’t get my books until I got my financial aid,” Fox said. “I had to wait in line for financial aid, then waited in line to get in the bookstore, then waited in line again to pay for them.” The total accumulated time: three hours, 35 minutes.
Various students recommended that BC have an online bookstore where students can purchase their books without dealing with all the necessary hassles.
“We’ve looked into having an online bookstore, but we do not have the computer capability,” Caughron said.
“We can’t even get the book list posted online, but we do appreciate everyone’s patience and business, and we continue to try hard to accommodate everyone.”