Buying books and readers
You can avoid long lines at the bookstore by buying books ahead of time. Just keep the receipt, and don’t mark in the books until you’re sure you want the class. By shopping early, you can also find used books, which are sold much cheaper than new ones.
To find required books for classes in the store, find the aisle where your subject is located; the books will be marked according to classes. Some textbook stores will reserve books for you ahead of time through the mail or online.
The local textbook stores
Books can usually be returned to bookstores through the end of the second week of classes, with a receipt. During the rest of the semester most bookstores will buy back your used books for a percentage of the original price. You can usually get more for them, though, if you sell them at the end of the semester.
Buyback rate for books being used again:
Textbooks and trade books, about 50% of cover price
Buyback rate for books NOT being used again:
Textbooks and trade books, between 0-50% of cover price
Boalt Law Bookstore
Boalt Hall, Bancroft Way and College Avenue; 510/540-7733
If you want to sell your law books back, go to Ned’s (see below).
Cal Student Store Textbook Department
calstudentstore.com; MLK Jr. Student Union, Garage level; 510/642-9000 (x690), Mail Order, 800/766-1546
Ned’s Berkeley Bookstore
nedsbooks.com/ucb; 2480 Bancroft Way; www.neds@nedsbooks.com; 510/204-0900
Revolution Books
2425 Channing Way (in a mini-mall between Telegraph and Dana); 848-1196, revolutionbooks.org. Many Ethnic Studies classes have their books here.
Online booksellers
alibris.com (used)
amazon.com
efollett.com
half.com
powells.com
Used books
The ASUC Bookswap is held on advertised dates during the first week of each semester. Students gather on Sproul Plaza to buy and sell books from each other at generally reduced prices (set by student sellers). In spring 2007, over 400 books were processed within the first two days (www.asuc.org/bookswap).
Berkeley Book Exchange is a website which allows Cal students to buy and sell used textbooks (currently 13,502 students use the service!). The service is completely free of charge, and there are no shipping fees to pay. The site provides the buyer with the seller’s phone number, email address, and AOL Instant Messenger screenname so that they can arrange a meeting for the transaction (comegetused.com).
Readers
Readers are a collection of photocopied articles that professors assemble for course reading, instead of, or in addition to, textbooks. Some are carried at the textbook stores, but most are sold through copy establishments on and around campus. (The professor will tell you where to purchase your class reader.) Most places have extended hours at the beginning of the semester.
Cal Student Store Textbook Department
MLK Jr. Student Union, 510/642-0770
Copy Central
2483 Hearst Avenue, 510/849-9600 and
2560 Bancroft Way, 510/848-8649
Copygrafik
2282 Fulton Street, 510/843-5251
Krishna Copy
2595 Telegraph Avenue, 510/549-0506
Metro Publishing
2440 Bancroft Way, 510/644-1999
Odin Readers
2480 Bancroft Way (at Ned’s), 510/841-7323
University Copy
2425 Channing Way, 510/549-2335