survey responses textbooks and the uw law school bookmart

SURVEY RESPONSES

Textbooks and the UW Law School Bookmart

Total Responses

We received a total of 220 responses.

This represents approximately 25% of the student body.

When did you think about buying textbooks for Spring semester?

When did you actually buy your textbooks for Spring semester?

What sources did you use to find out what textbooks you needed for the Spring Semester?

The additional source was listed by a student: University Book Store List

Where did you buy your textbooks?

The additional options were listed by students: SBA Used Book Sales, CLEW Office, Facebook trading group, WI Bar Association, borrowed

from the library, shared a textbook with another student

How much did you spent on textbooks for the Spring semester?

How important are the following factors when you purchase your textbooks?

ITEM NOT IMPORTANT

A LITTLE IMPORTANT

NO OPINION OR NOT

APPLICABLEIMPORTANT VERY

IMPORTANT

Price of textbooks4% 5% 1% 27% 63%

Being able to buy used textbooks15% 11% 9% 28% 37%

Having textbooks on the first day of class5% 9% 0% 31% 55%

Having textbooks before the first day of class so you have time to read 13% 10% 2% 27% 48%

Physical convenience of the Law School Bookmart 20% 24% 10% 32% 14%

Being able to pay with credit/debit cards9% 19% 8% 32% 32%

Being able to choose what vendor you buy your textbooks from 16% 15% 20% 25% 24%

The Bookmart currently releases information 7-10 days before the first day of class. Would you prefer

to have textbook information released sooner?

Would you prefer to have law textbook information released sooner if it meant that the Law School Bookmart would no longer

exist and you would have to buy your law textbooks from the University Book Store (or, as always, other vendors of your choosing)?

How satisfied are you with the services provided by the Bookmart?

ITEM VERY DISSATISFIED

DISSATISFIED NO OPINION SATISFIED VERY SATISFIED

Price22% 44% 16% 17% 1%

Selection (e.g. no used books available)36% 33% 19% 11% 2%

Hours14% 36% 15% 30% 5%

Return policy16% 25% 30% 27% 2%

Payment method24% 47% 10% 18% 1%

Customer Service5% 5% 16% 49% 25%

How many of your professors posted their textbook information electronically for you to access on My UW?

Student Comments: page 1 of 14

High tuition costs have always made textbook costs important to students who are trying to live on very little. With the economic recession, the price of textbooks is even more important. I see no reason why we should keep the Bookmart around when it is costing students more money. Support a free market and let students choose where they buy there books. It would be nice to see the administration support the students by recognizing the importance of knowing what textbooks are needed with enough time to buy them at a low price.

Honestly, their prices aren't terrible. They are usually a dollar or two cheaper than other retailers that focused just on textbooks. Some books though, I can get a MUCH better deal on Barnes and Noble.com, especially with my BN membership! I always shop around for my books before purchasing from the bookmart. Also, while it is frustrating that the bookmart doesn't take credit cards, I would think this keeps prices down since credit card companies charge merchants a hefty fee (usually 3% to 5%) in order to process the charges. BUT getting the book list sooner (like a month before school starts) would be fantastic and appropriate. Also, used book sales would also be great. I know I sell so many of my books back online that I could probably get more money for if I sold them to UW law students!


I am in agreement with the argument thus far, that, especially in this economic climate, there is no reason to deny students the opportunity to find books cheaper online by providing the booklist to students during the holidays. I save $80-$100 buying textbooks online EACH TERM (yes, I buy the correct editions, and yes, this includes shipping) and would undoubtedly save more if I had more time to shop ahead of time. Unfortunately, these savings also mean I may not get my textbooks until the second or third week of classes, even if I order them the day the Bookmart list goes up. It is even more frustrating when the Bookmart list does not even include books for certain classes even though they stock the books profs have ordered (such as the Equal Employment book this term, which was never on the list, and which I ordered on the first day of class and received used, $80 cheaper, three weeks later). The people who work in the Bookmart are nice, but I have no idea where that money goes and I feel like they try to get as much of it as possible, justified by silly arguments about how convenient it is to buy a book at the law school (I just have mine shipped to the law school from Amazon) and about how by the time you add in shipping, it isn't worth buying a used book (who charges $80 in shipping?!). HOWEVER: If the Bookmart does go out of business, and professors need to order books through Madison retailers, I hope they consider going through one of the local independent booksellers such as A Room of One's Own Bookstore or Rainbow Bookstore. If we are supporting students having more options for where to find cheap, used books (which smaller, local stores, also stock and can order), we should not automatically assume law profs will use the Bookstore, and we should encourage them to support independent Madison retailers instead.

I have had to start each semester without my books because of the exorbitant cost of getting them through the bookmart. I am immediately behind in readings and class, but for those of us who can barely afford to be in Law School in the first place, we don't have a choice because of this insistence on relying on the bookmart. Moreover, for those people who don't get enough loans to cover all their books, it is hard to pay for books when you can't use a credit card.

Yes! Give us the list earlier so that we can go online and save money. I don't care if Bookmart exists.

I don't want to put the Bookmart out of business, but if I can save $50 buying a used textbook at amazon.com vs. the Bookmart... it's a no brainer which one I will choose. I would like the Bookmart to sell used books. I don't like buying new when I know used will do. I would also have liked to sell some books at Bookmart... but they would offer almost nothing or nothing for 95% of my books when I tried to resell. Maybe the Bookmart could develop some sort of internal buyback/resale program... I had a lot of books the Bookmart offered me $1 or nothing for at buyback that sold for up to $75 on amazon.com... if you know a professor is going to reuse the book, maybe you could make a nice business out of buying back the used books at a reasonable price and selling them again at a reasonable margin. I like Bookmart but I can't afford to buy all new books every semester.


Bookmart is a joke. I wouldn't miss it. It's more of a pain NOT to be able to use a credit card, make returns, or buy books on MLKJr Day than it is to walk down to the University Bookstore and wait in line. I would definitely order books online, way ahead of time...except that i'm often unsure which classes i'm going to take until after the first day of class. (So i appreciated SBA's attempts to get a book list out ahead of time last fall, but i wasn't able to utilize it.) Thinking back now about three years of the Bookmart, I'm kinda pissed. On another book related note, all professors teaching a subject (the Con Laws come to mind) should have to use the same version of the book, rather than the two huge-ass Con Laws on my shelf. That's $150 i shouldn't have had to pay to the man.

All three years, second semester the Bookmart is closed the weekend before classes start and the MLKJ holiday. This means a student has to be back and ready (with loan-money-cash) by whatever time the Bookmart closes 4 days before class starts. This is silly. The Bookmart really exists to get us the books twice a year, some weekend or holiday hours are totally reasonable. I don't really want to demand the close of the Bookmart, though. I think some good alternatives have sprung up recently- the facebook groups, the SBA booklist and used book sales. These give people a lot of options if they want to be pro-active about saving money. If the new options continue to be so much better than what Bookmart offers, Bookmart will either have to adjust or shut down- assuming it's not subsidized by the school.

there aren't enough used books available via bookmart or sba. also, why we given such ridiculously low prices for books we sell back after using? it really isn't that difficult to solve this problem: if there was a better system for used books, we could sell our old textbooks for more and buy new (used) textbooks for less. i guess the bookmart doesn't have an incentive to do this and sba probably doesn't have the resources. where i did my undergrad, the bookstore would buy any books being used the following semester for half their sticker value, then sell used books for a quarter off the sticker value. this seemed unfair at the time, but now seems extremely fair (compared to not being able to buy used textbooks or sell old textbooks). also, under that system, if you bought a used textbook and sold it back, you paid one quarter of the sticker price to use the textbook for a semester. very livable. the problem is that people would have to hold on to their torts etc textbooks for a semester (because they aren't used the semester after being used).


The bookmart return policy is unreasonable, and the fact that they do not sell any used books is ridiculous. Considering that the owner has a captive market, it seems like she should be a little more flexible about taking debit/credit cards, accepting returns, and selling books that are not brand new in more than just a few cases (Contracts and Torts).

I don't think it would be a problem to not have the bookmart and to have to go through the UW bookstore. I would prefer to get the list earlier, and so to have a chance to buy book elsewhere. I think I benefited from the SBA list that was put out.

I don't understand why the Bookmart is even in existence. Why would you prevent a law student from finding the best deal possible? Is it because the professors are too lazy to get the book lists in prior to the week before classes begin? I find this hard to believe. The Bookmart's existence perplexes me. How does it benefit students? Who benefits from the current arrangement? It was explained during orientation but not very well. I don't understand how the law school administration puts up with the current arrangement. Why wouldn't you try to get the best deal for students. If a student prefers to buy new books, then he/she could do so through an online retailer or the University Bookstore. If he/she prefers to save money, they could do so through an online retailer or the University Bookstore. Why is this so difficult?

I was rather annoyed when I got the SBA list of books and they all had prices on there and then when I showed up at the book mart, they had upped the prices on 3 of my books like 7 dollars on each of them.

None of my professors posted their books on the SBA booklist - I would have rather ordered books from another source, but didn't find out what I needed for class until the week before the semester started, therefore, it was too late to order from another source and I was forced to use the bookmart. I think it is ridiculous that the bookmart does not accept credit cards.

It's important to me to have my books on the first day of class so that I don't fall behind on the reading. By getting the booklist 7-10 days in advance, and with several professors not listing their textbooks on that list, it's too late for me to shop around because I would have to pay large shipping fees to guarantee that my books would be delivered by the first day of class.

For the sake of efficiency, it seems unreasonable to keep afloat the bookmart. The school at times has to release emergency loans to students so they can purchase books before classes start so they do not fall behind. Let the students know as soon as possible what books they are to purchase, have the bookmart list their prices at least a month before the start of classes and let students make their decision as to where they would like to purchase their books. It's more important to me to save money than to spend more just to keep the bookmart open.


Excellent idea. If the bookmart not being able to operate is a result of student's being able to shop around and save money and get books earlier, that's not our problem. If they would offer better selection/prices/times, there wouldn't be any issues. They don't. So thank you to SBA for trying to remedy this problem!

When looking at new book prices, it did not seem like the Bookmart was unreasonable. However, it was not hard to find used books much cheaper. I would not be concerned with the Bookmart going out of business. I think if the Bookmart was pressed, they could find ways to be successful, i.e. leasing books for a semester at a time, or buying and selling used books.

It is inexcusable how late textbook information is made available.

I do not like the lawschool bookmart return policy. It is very limited, even when you have not used or opened a book. Like most other places, as long as you have the reciept and the product has been used, then I should be able to return it. Also the prices are too high at the lawschool bookmart, the hours are not usually convenient, and there is not reason that the students should have to wait until a week before the semester starts to get books. In a nut shell, the bookmart is a rip off

Releasing the information earlier would be great. Not only would it allow students to shop around for lower prices, it would also make it easier for students who return to Madison shortly before classes resume to obtain their books and get reading done before returning. An important detail of this change would be to make sure the earlier information clearly details which edition to buy so students don't waste time shopping for out-of-date editions to their books. I saw my book prices go way up this semester, so I appreciate your effort on this issue.

I wish the Bookmart would offer a selection of used books. It doesn't seem fair that we have to buy new books. Unless a professor is using the absolute newest edition of a textbook I will always buy mine from another student or from amazon.com.

I utilized the SBA Used Book Sale this semester and found it really helpful, because it can be a challenge to find used books.

There is no advantage to the physical location of the Bookmart if you can't actually browse its contents. I have no problem with the Bookmart closing, though it would be nice if no one had to lose their job in this economy. It's absurd how short the release of book information is for classes. The lack of a credit card machine is unacceptable. Make a minimum credit card purchase of $25 or something if its that big a cost.

I don't want to buy used textbooks unless they are in like-new condition (i.e. no highlighting, no writing--don't care if the cover is beat up though). I would gladly go to the University Bookstore if I could get new textbooks cheaper there.


I worked in textbook purchasing during my undergrad career. A few things to consider: 1. buying used textbooks drives up the price of new books, and new books will likely be required when new editions come out, even if there are insignificant changes, because of how they are marketed to professors by sales reps. 2. Often it is not the bookstore/Bookmart's fault that we don't get our titles early enough. It can be very difficult to get orders from professors in a timely fashion if they change texts or are new. If the professors don't get their orders in soon enough, it won't matter if it is the Bookmart or the University Book store selling them; we'd see the same problems. 3. If getting our lists earlier means the Bookmart can't be open, we won't necessarily see a price decrease from the University Book Store. Usually markups are standard. I'm not saying this is a bad idea - it would be GREAT to have lists sooner and other options for purchasing, but there are other things that need to be considered. Timing and prices don't necessarily always go hand-in-hand. If we CAN get the orders/lists sooner, by all means, let's do it! But I have found a lot of value in the Bookmart for other resources - including their expert knowlege on what professors like a study aids, etc... and would hate to see them go. If it's Bookmart of University Book Store, I say the prices probably won't go down... so let's keep this great resource. I know that having more time to find books online means the Bookmart may not make enough money... but if we could get them sooner (and perhaps if the Bookmart could offer used copies of texts) they would be able to remain open? Just my random thoughts...

The Bookmart sucks. Just let me go to the UW Bookstore. I hate that I can't pay with credit card, the line is long, the prices are high, nothing used and very limited hours after classes start.

It would be very helpful to have the book lists early to buy online! It would also be nice to inform 1Ls earlier about book buying options. Many of us were so nervous about not being prepared for that first day we just bought all of our books from the bookmart even though 2Ls offered to check around to see if anyone had them used. It would be really helpful to have an online 'law school books craigslist' type thing to buy/sell, especially for 1Ls. Also, contracts and crim books are UW specific, so no where will take them. The only way to sell them back is by finding a 1L who will buy them. And most 1Ls are more concerned about having the books than shopping around - especially since they only get the lists the week before class!

My biggest problem with the Bookmart is the hours before school starts. For those of us who have volunteer trips planned the week before school (as I have done before every spring semester), we can't pick up our books until the first day of classes. I think that the Bookmart, at the very least, should have Saturday and probably Sunday hours, especially before school starts.

Hope I can get used book thru the Bookmart.


The Law School Bookmart would be a really convenient place to buy books if they accepted debit/credit cards (Last semester my check wasn't cashed for almost 2 months, which makes balancing a small budget very difficult. Also, I'd rather not carry around large wads of cash). Not having the booklists in time to be able to successfully read the large chunks of law that are often set in advance of classes starting is absolutely ridiculous, and prevents students from working in that crucial vacation period -- I'd rather read a little at a time, than a large amount in one sitting. Finally, while I'd prefer to buy brand new books, so that I can highlight my own passages, etc, money is obviously an issue. In only releasing the booklist 7 - 10 days before classes start, the Law School Bookmart is essentially playing a very clever game of monopoly -- how are law students supposed to be able to get good value for money, when they don't have the time to shop around? They're not supposed to, that's the point. The Law School Bookmart enjoys the monopoly, that provides law students with much frustration. With careful and considerate replanning, the Law School Bookmart could be a very useful and convenient point of sale. As it stands, it creates an irritating situation for the student body as a whole.

Charge the copy center with the duty to sell printouts and let students buy their other books online.

Given the wide availability of textbooks online and through other resources, it seems less important that we have a book store actually in the law school -- especially if it relies on law school funds. This past semester with the early textbook list from SBA was great, I was able to cut the cost of books at least in half. My one concern is that several of my classes have used class packets, which are considerably cheaper than textbooks. So, I'd like to see the school retain that option for professors. Thanks!

I really don't think this is that big a deal.

I do not want the Bookmart to close. It is a valuable resource for other materials and is convenient in an emergency.

:)

The University Book Store is a nightmare. I would rather pay even a fair amount more just to avoid having to use the University Book Store.

I don't trust buying things online because of credit card security, and I don't like buying used books because other people's highlights do not help my studying. If the Bookmart was gone and I'd have to haul all my books up from Library Mall, that would suck.

Every chance I have to buy from Amazon rather than the Bookmart I do it. I like having the option to buy new or used. Plus, I can use a credit card if I have too. On top of that I can have the books sent straight to my home, so I can start reading immediately for that semester's classes. It's more convenient, cheaper, and offers a wider range of options.


I think the policy of not accepting book returns if the plastic cover was removed is silly. How are you supposed to decide if you like the book and the class if your stuck with it after you open it? Twice I've stayed in classes I would have rather dropped simply because I couldn't return the books!

I think the Bookmart staff is extremely helpful in finding the best non-required study aides to fit a specific professors class.

i like convenience of in-house bookmart

Seems like a win-win. This is one case where the free market actually works pretty well, why not let it work? We're all smart enough to use amazon and other books stores, plus we could have a more efficient re-sale to each other.

I think it is a good idea. The bookmart is convenient, but we should have more options and more opportunity for used books.

I could care less about being able to buy books inside the law school. I want a good value and to be treated with a minimal level of respect. I now ask professors as early as possible (or ask other students) what books are used for a given class and try to buy my books used from classmates or on ebay. It simply isn't worth it to get books from the bookmart.

Not being able to buy textbooks on credit cards is extremely inconvenient. Most people have really limited cash flow, especially leading into 2nd semester. Not only do we already have to pay our entire tuition w/o credit cards, this is just one final extra cost. Also, the limited time that booklists are released before classes begin makes it unrealistic to find used books. Furthermore, the booklists are often inaccurate, with professors intending books to be supplemental, and they somehow end up appearing to be required.

I'd be quite satisfied with any arrangement that gets the book information to students at least 4 weeks in advance of each term. If it means losing the Bookmart, I have no objection. I imagine that this will require the administration to put more pressure on professors to select their textbooks sooner, to which I again have no objection.


I like the convenience of the Bookmart and not having to go through the hassle that is the UW Bookstore. I just wish that the Bookmart allowed you to sell books back and to buy used books.

The Law School Bookmart has no reason to exist. Its limited hours, the lousy return policy, and the fact that you can't use a credit card are bad. The only benefit I see from it is its location, but I'd much rather walk to the UW Bookstore than deal with the aforementioned problems. I don't really care how soon the book lists are available, because I don't buy any books until I get a syllabus from the professor. If that doesn't happen until the first day of class, fine with me.

The cost is ridiculous. If I paid the full bookmart price for all of my books (I am taking 18 hrs this semester), I would have paid almost $900. I saved substantial amounts of money by buying used from Amazon. The fact that they do not sell used books, combined with the ludicrous price, is tantamount to price gauging. I pay $35,000+/yr just in tuition and fees, it is absurd to ask me and others to pay the inflated prices at the bookmart. The system is poor and could do with substantial improvement.

Don't blame the bookmart for the price of books. $500 a semester is nothing compared to the $30K per year some students pay just to go to law school. Plus you get good quality books that you can display in your office - how nice. If you guys keep up the QQ, only more problems will arise, like students not being able to get books at all at a convenient place, time, and at market price. Be content doodz.

It would not bother me if I had to go get my books from the University Bookstore. It is fairly convenient to the location of the law school and their prices and return policies are FAR better than the Law School Bookmart. They also always have some used books to reduce prices and have book buyback at the end of the semester so that any books you do not foresee using you can recoup some of the cost. I have continued to be completely shell shocked by the price of my books every semester but have felt unable to do much about it considering how late the list is published which makes it difficult to get the books from outside sources and still have your books by the first week of classes. I generally dislike the bookmart and its policies. Further the hours are not very good - for example this semester they were closed the entire three days before classes started making it impossible for any student that returned to Madison after the Friday before classes started to buy their books. Either the bookmart should be forced to change many of their operating policies (hours, cost, used books, return policy) or they should no longer get business from the law school. Right now it basically runs as a monopoly and takes advantage of the students.


Before 1L year, one of my professors assigned a Civil Procedure book that was impossible to find either online or in Madison. I've had to buy a few other textbooks online throughout law school, and I've either had difficulty finding them, they've arrived late, or the wrong edition has arrived. And the standard used-book-University-Bookstore method was always a fiasco as an undergrad here at Madison, as copies were either sold out or not stocked to begin with. Although it is bit pricey, the Bookmart is extremely convenient and is guaranteed to have all the textbooks I need in stock, in the correct editions. (Quite frankly, given the astronomical cost of law school to begin with, saving $20 per book every semester really isn't going to make that much difference for me.) Rather than assume yet ANOTHER responsibility of trying to find law books myself, I would rather SBA worked with the current Bookmart to lower prices, rather than do anything that would put the Bookmart out of business.

I'd support this letter, and the action that it's asking for. Along with earlier information, it would be great to have ISBN numbers included in the information to make buying books online easier. In the past, I've purchased incorrect editions of books because of a lack of information provided on the booklist.

The convenience of having a bookstore right in the law school is outweighed by the fact that we 1) have no choice between purchasing used and new books and 2) have to settle for the modest buyback prices.

KEEP THE BOOKMART! IT'S RIGHT IN THE BUILDING! SO CONVENIENT! But maybe have them get a credit card machine.

Would like to have the information soon enough to actually buy books online (Amazon, etc.) and receive them prior to the first day of class.

People are making way too big of a deal about this. The amount you spend on books pails in comparisson to tuition. If you want to buy cheaper books, or used books, buy them online. Even with the time crunch "problem", I have been able to buy books on amazon, and even if you select 2 day shipping still save $20-50 a semester. There essentially is no problem except a few people upset about both wanting used cheap books AND want them 2 weeks before school. Pick your priorities. Going to law school and quibbiling about $30 a semester on books is like buying a Lexus and being upset that you have to buy windshield wipper fluid. relax.

I think a median can be reached where professors provide their book list earlier, yet the Bookmart can remain in business. I like the idea.

It is ridiculous that the book list is released so close to classes starting. Finally, cash or check only is dumb. It is now 2009--I'm not trying to pay with coinage.


The blind support of the law school bookmart is another example of how this school tries to operate like we're still in the 1970s. Students should have timely access to the books that they will need so that they can access the full range of books available on the bookmart. If law students screw up and buy the wrong edition of a book, the student will have to deal with it. Personally, when I'm spending an average of $375-400 per semester (keeping in mind that I even buy some used books), I want the flexibility to screw up.

It would just be nice to get the list a little earlier. I usually buy one or two of my books from Amazon.com or someplace like that, and it takes a week or two for the book to get shipped. Since the booklist doesn't come out until about a week before classes start, it means that I usually get one of my books after classes have started. I do usually buy at least one or two of my books from the Bookmart, though, so I don't really want to see it go out of business. I would just like the booklist maybe a week or so earlier than they get it to us now.

I think it is most important that students can purchase the books sooner to allow them to work on first assignments on their own time and prep for semester. Additionally, it would be great to be able to buy books at reduced prices.

Get the list out sooner and get rid of the bookmart.

My only request to have better access to used books and have a reasonable exchange value for returning my books.

I prefer the convenience of having the bookmart here at the law school. I think students could and do still order books online and the University bookstore is just as bad as the bookmart. In addition, the bookmart is great for study aids and the woman who runs it is so knowledgable and helps to find exactly what kind of aids would work best for each individual person. I would not want to do anything that would cause the bookmart to close.

Please do this. From what I've heard the BookMark is not useful or helpful to the students in any way.

My books for each semester in law school cost more than a month's worth of rent. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do something to make it easier for future students to find cheap, used books (unfortunately, as a 3L I won't reap any benefits from future changes). I don't care if Bookmart goes out of business, or if I would have had to walk over to the University Book Store to get my books.

Though there would be a marginal benefit to receiving book lists earlier, the convenience of buying books in the law school is pretty substantive and more important. The fact that the book mart is the exclusive place on campus to buy law books does not disable students from buying books elsewhere; those who want to buy their books on Amazon can and obviously do. Regardless, to me the convenience of the book mart supersedes the negatives.


My biggest concern is not the bookmart but the books that are chosen by Professors to teach their classes. It is bad enough that the publishing companies come out with a new version of each book every year to keep students from buying used textbooks. It is even worse that law faculty subject their students to this profit scheme. There is no reason that a case book cannot be re-used for up to a five year period. Teachers can make more modern cases available online or send out a supplement to the old book for students to read online or print out on their own dime. Not only would this save students a lot of money but it would also be much more environmentally friendly. Professors should make a commitment that they will attempt to re-use text books and take the extra steps needed to make sure students will have the most updated cases. I have had professors that have done this in the past, so it is doable.

The thing I dislike most about the Law School Bookmart, aside from the prices, are the hours. They have really odd hours right before classes start, so I end up having to plan my return from vacation around the days that the Bookmart is open and when I can get there. That's unacceptable.

I don't shop around much because I don't have the book list far enough in advance to feel comfortable ordering online and receiving the books in time.

It is important that students are able to purchase their books from other places and have it on time to begin their coursework without falling behind. I know that the Bookmart needs to make money, but we law students tend to be broke and the rules should work to what works best for the students and not necessarily the Bookmart. Competition is good. Perhaps then they will carry used books.

Bookmart should start buying/selling used books directly from law students.

Please give us information sooner to allow options on where we can purchase the materials.

The Bookmart is a joke. Consider Evidence: Text, Problems, And Cases by Allen. The Bookmart wants $140; Amazon $112 with free shipping and they take credit cards! How much money does the Bookmart pay in rent? How much money does it make as opposed to the cost of operations? Why are we giving cushy jobs to the workers. As I understand it, Dean Kevin Kelly offically runs the Bookmart. Isn't this a conflict of interest? Why is the Bookmart so overstaffed with undergrads? Given the shortage of space, couldn't the Bookmart be converted into a decent food area. We buy books once a semester while we buy food daily. What function does the Bookmart serve that the Internet combined with Underground Bookstore/University Bookstore couldn't do? Whatever issues are mentioned should be countered with, "Why are we the only school that does this?" If the business school doesn't think it is economically efficient to have their own bookstore, why does the law school. I am told that admitted students like the bookmart. Of course they like the bookmart, you like the concept of the bookmart until you realize that: (1) they don't take credit cards, (2) there is no ATM machine in the building, (3) their hours are horrible, (4) the prices aren't competitive, and (5) there is no comparison. You have to ask, "would you prefer the bookmart over X." Where X is a bookstore or a decent coffee shop and a lounge.


The biggest problem I found was the Bookmart hours on the weekend before school started. I know it fell on a holiday, and so the staff should get time off, but it made purchasing books very difficult. I am an out-of-state student and did not get back to Madison until the Saturday before classes started. The Bookmart was closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, so I ended up buying my textbooks an hour before class started. I was not able to read for my first class.

I would love to information earlier, though I would be more willing to buy from the bookmart if they accepted credit cards.

I like the convenience of the bookmark. I think there's a facebook group where I can get used books so I don't really need the bookmart for that. I would be annoyed if the bookmart went away because at least with the bookmart, I know I'm getting the right books and it's convenient to get them. But I would like to be able to get the books earlier.

I feel like the Bookmart offers competitive prices in terms of the *new* books it offers. When I've price shopped online, major retailers like Amazon only undercut it by a couple dollars. The biggest savings usually come from smaller sellers selling, through Amazon Marketplace for example. Similarly, the Bookmart will never be able to compete with the used book market that's out there, except when a new edition of a textbook is issued. Then the problem is always with the professor jumping to the new edition immediately, causing a flood of used and useless old editions on the market. If the law school is interested in having the Bookmart survive, then I think it should start selling used copies of textbooks. University Bookstore does this, and it at least gives students the choice to pay less for a heavily marked book or more for a clean new edition. The Bookmart is at a disadvantage since students aren't able to browse its shelves like at UBS. Maybe it could restrict the sale of used books to certain "slow" hours of operation, or sell them at a table in the atrium.

I would not care at all if the Bookmart closed. I do not think that it is a big deal to have to walk two blocks from the law school to University Book Store and if they released the book list earlier, I would think that most people would order their books online anyway. I also thought that it was really annoying that the Bookmart was not open the weekend before school started or MLK Day which made it really inconvenient to buy books before the semester started.

I'd support practically any new policy that gives students more freedom to choose where to buy books. A two-block walk to the book store is not inconvenient. Beyond its convenient location, I don't see any way that the Bookmart has benefited me as a student. Its policy to hoard book lists until just before the semester begins is a weasely way for it to earn money.

I'm not sure assigning responsibility to the law school administration will improve book service based on their track record in other areas, e.g., curriculum reform, clinicals reform, etc. Bookmark must be terminated. Thank you for taking the first steps to ensure that happens. Also, the claim that offering the option to purchase via credit card increases costs is absolutely laughable. What's the per transaction cost? $0.05? $0.10?


The Bookmart must be replaced. The staff is incredibly unfriendly to students, treating us as if it is a huge hassle to service customers. The staff also makes little to no effort to accommodate student requests (like accepting credit/debit cards, or making the booklist available sooner than 7-10 days before classes begin). The Bookmart essentially has a monopoly of the law school book sales. Most all professors give their booklist only to the Bookmart (unless students send a special request for book titles to their professors, or unless SBA is able to post the titles to its website). Since the Bookmart does not make the booklist available until just before classes begin, students have only 2 real options for textbook purchases: (1) pay list price from the Bookstore, and accept the poor service they provide; or (2) purchase the books elsewhere after viewing the Bookmart list, and in most cases, receive the books after classes have already begun and you're behind in the reading. It seems absurd that undergraduates have better access to used books than law students, especially considering that the cost of our law books is so high. Many law students are living at-or-below the poverty line, strapped with unbelievable student loans. It would help many of us greatly to save several hundred dollars each semester by purchasing used textbooks. It certainly couldn't hurt academically, either, to be able to purchase affordable books AND receive them before classes begin. A simple solution: close the Bookmart, and substitute the University Bookstore as the main law text provider, instructing law professors to provide booklists to the Bookstore AND to SBA to give students options for purchases. The University Bookstore does a great job of finding used versions of textbooks, and of providing students with a list of textbooks weeks before classes begin. Whenever prospective UW Law students ask me whether our books are affordable, I am forced to say that we have a terrible situation for purchasing textbooks at our school. Hopefully Dean Davis will improve make this necessary improvement very soon.

survey responses textbooks and the uw law school bookmart

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