About Us
While many college students buy their textbooks from their campus bookstores, or from online stores such as Amazon.com or eBay, and some students even borrow them from libraries, the complaints about the high costs, ineffective distribution, and limitations of usage of textbooks from these sources are numerous:
- “The textbooks from the campus bookstores are too expensive.”
- “I ordered these books from Amazon.com, but they haven’t arrived yet.”
- “I ordered these books from eBay, but they are in horrible condition.”
- “I purchased these textbooks and used them, but I don’t need them anymore.”
- “These textbooks aren’t available in the library.”
- “I have to return these textbooks to the library, but I still need them!”
- “I would like to mark and highlight in these books, but the library policies prohibit me from doing that.”
According to a survey conducted by the California Student Public Interest Research Group, during the 2003-2004 academic school year, college students spend an average of $898 on textbooks for their postsecondary education. In order to combat these costs, four students from the University of Southern California, who personally experienced the difficulties of purchsing college textbooks, have collaborated to form BookWorm. Analogous to NetFlix, BookWorm has collected a wide collection of college textbooks and established a textbook rental service to college students. BookWorm offers rental textbooks in the widely-studied subjects of Business, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Foreign Language, and History. Through BookWorm, students can rent college textbooks from online through a website, receive them in the mail by a time frame that is decided by the students, and mail them back once they are used.
How It Works
On its website, BookWorm maintains an online database of all the titles of textbooks that are available. College students can access the online database and choose which textbooks they would like to borrow. While some students prefer to borrow new textbooks with no markings and highlights, others prefer to borrow used textbooks that have already been marked and highlighted. To satisfy both demands, BookWorm offers both new and used copies of each textbook. Once the students choose their textbooks and fill out the online rental order form, they can decide a date by which they need the textbooks. A centralized distribution center receives and processes all online orders. Through a partnership with FedEx, BookWorm will deliver the ordered textbooks by the time frame that is requested by the students. The rental costs of textbooks are approximately 25% of their market price.
When the students have finished using their textbooks, they can mail the books back to the centralized distribution center in pre-stamped envelopes that were included with the textbooks. Upon their arrival, BookWorm assesses the damage to the textbooks. While BookWorm assesses used textbooks generously, it assesses new textbooks critically for minimal marks and highlights because they will be used again as new textbooks for future clients. BookWorm then holds the students liable for any excessive damage or loss. During the rental process. students will note a time frame during which they abide to return the textbook. Failure to return textbooks within the decided time frame will also result in charges.
Why It Works
The philosophy of BookWorm is to make education affordable and readily available. While campus bookstores, online bookstores, and libraries place many restrictions on this philosophy, BookWorm works hard to make it a reality. Not only does BookWorm provide a cheap cost for textbooks, but it provides availability, in the fact that textbooks arrive punctually according to the students’ needs, and flexibility, in the fact that both used and new textbooks are available. BookWorm continually works to expanding its inventory because it believes that education is a high priority for the public.