11.05.10. Textbookexchange.co.uk saves students from book store monopoly

Recent studies have shown that students use, on average, 12 different textbooks over their time at university which can cost upwards of £200. Savvy students have long attempted to side-step these costs using their library or buying used textbooks from their older peers. However, libraries only provide limited numbers of books, forcing students to wait in line and buying used was only possible when you had the right contacts in the year above.

An entrepreneurial student from the London School of Economics saw these problems and created a solution that wrestles the expensive issue of textbooks into a smooth, stress-free, cheap one. He envisaged a website textbookexchange.co.uk where students could buy and sell textbooks without being charged any commission. Although some texts are now available in electronic form, students still seem to prefer books in physical form, which means the future looks bright for new site. Read full text here.