This message is to inform you that your order is ready for pickup.
If you’re one of the thousands of students participating in the Villanova Textbook Access Program this semester, this line is nothing new to you. In fact, if your experience has been anything like mine, you’ve probably received a handful of these emails between the start of Winter Break and the first weeks of Spring Semester. Odds are, between making the trek to Garey Hall, waiting in line, making sure you got everything you were supposed to and doing it all again days later, you’ve also encountered your fair share of confusion and difficulty.
The program was implemented as a pilot recently, starting with classes held in the Summer of 2024. Students are now opted into the Textbook Access Program by default but can opt out if they would rather buy their books on their own. Any student enrolled at Villanova, whether as an undergrad, graduate student or law student, will be auto-registered as part of the Textbook Access Program. Depending on the number of credits one is registered for, students pay a flat fee of $55 to $275, which covers the purchase of all books needed for the semester.
According to the Office of the Provost, the program is expected to save students across the university’s undergraduate and graduate students about one million dollars each year. On the individual scale, the program promises to reduce the cost of books by 20 to 60%. By purchasing books on students’ behalf, the coordinators of the program hope, the University can offset costs of textbooks, ensure that all students have the same editions of texts and save the hassle of having to search for and buy each book.
This semester’s service in the program has made me begin to rethink my choice. I did appreciate not having to take time over break to order the books I needed and be responsible for making sure they were all shipped to campus. However, there have been some instances where I received an edition of a book different from the one most of my classmates have, making it difficult to follow along with page numbers when peers or professors refer to them.
“The textbook access program has been very helpful in some ways, but definitely has its downfalls,” freshman Josey Wiggins said. “I appreciate not having to worry about finding each book individually, but it can be a hassle to go back to the bookstore every time I need to pick up another book. A lot of people, myself included, have experienced issues. I and my entire French class have received two books about the American Civil War when we do not need those books for our class.”
Although the consensus among freshmen may be less-than-thrilled, upperclassmen who spent most of their Villanova careers without the program may disagree.
“As a senior nursing major, I wish this was an option during my past years at Villanova,” senior Ava Studivant said. “Before the program, I was paying up to $600 to $900 for nursing textbooks, and although I think the program still needs some development, the basis of it makes textbooks more accessible than they’ve ever been in my opinion.”
Yet, long lines, staggered pickup times as books are delivered, and long wait times for necessary materials complicate the process intended to streamline things. Although the program’s website promises that students will have all their course materials on “day one” of the semester, the reality of the system is much less predictable. It seems that the decrease in cost, both monetary and time-wise, for most students is something Villanovans are excited about, whereas some of the logistical matters associated with the new program are not. Overall, it seems like some work could be done to improve upon a system with potential to simplify a chore that no student looks forward to. Luckily, though, we have six months until the upcoming Fall Semester rolls around. That’s plenty of time to work these out and keep refining the program for future Villanovans.
