Now I See What I've been Missing

I went to buy a textbook at the JMU bookstore Yesterday.  (As I write it is September 1.)

For years I have heard all the horror stories about getting books, and how much of a pain it is, and silently made fun of the complainers.  Seriously--I was an undergrad for 6 years, and I'm in my 6th year of grad school--I have plenty of experience in this area.  But I had never had any trouble.  I'm not kidding.  Not one time, ever, have I not been able to get a book in a timely manner.  Sometimes I bought the new book because they were out of used, many times I thought the price was ridiculous for new or used.  But the books I needed were always there.  I've never ordered online, I've never used the alternative, off-campus store.

So this time around--in my penultimate semester I have trouble. (see note at bottom)

First I had gone to the bookstore on Aug 22, and one of the 2 textbooks for my class was there.  I picked that one up, and there was a sign for the other one saying it was on order and would be in around Aug 28.  The first class was scheduled for Aug 26, so I figured "No big deal--I'll be missing one book for the first class and pick it up a couple days later.

I waited until Aug 31 to go back--it's a small class, so I assumed it wouldn't sell out.  When I checked it wasn't on the shelf--in fact, the sign that said it would be in around Aug 28 was still there.  I went to the information desk to inquire.

The person at the desk looked the book up and said that they might arive later in the day.  Then she said something roughly like "Oh!  Maybe that won't be enough."  She never said how many were on order to me--it must be a pretty small number.  She then said that some of them might already be spoken for--presumably people can prepay for their books so that when they arrive the bookstore will hold them.  But she couldn't tell me how many of the impending shipment were already claimed.  This fact made me think that there is a pretty good chance the people who prepaid won't get them.  Shouldn't they know how many are claimed?  If they don't know how many are claimed, how can they put the right number on the shelf?

She asked if I wanted to prepay and wait for another shipment--a shipment that would take at least 4 days to arrive.  I said "what if I find it somewhere else and buy it before it gets here?  Can I get my money back?"  She said that all textbooks could be returned up to September 2.

Please let that sink in.

It was August 31.
The order would take 4 days.
I could get a refund up to September 2.

This does not compute.

I retort, "You do realize that September 2 is fewer than four days away."  And she told me that they always allow 2 days from purchase to return--and in this case that would be 2 days from picking it up.  (I was dubious about this, but let it go.  Wouldn't my reciept, if I prepaid, say "Aug 31"?)

I said "Let me get this straight.  You are telling me that there are some on order, that were expected to arrive last week and didn't, but might arrive today, you don't know how many, but it is a small number, and some of them may already be claimed, but you don't know how many (if any) either?  And I can prepay for something now, and then might still have to wait more than 4 days to get the book?"

She replied in the affirmative.

I chose not to get the book then and there.

I am about to walk over there to see if they have a copy now.  If not, I will go to the off-campus store.  If nothing there, I will go online.

So... Now I See What I've Been Missing.  Now I have some idea what people are talking about when they say they have trouble getting the books they need.  I have some thoughts on all this, that I may or may not explore more.  Briefly, I think that all the alternative book sources probably make finding a book worse, although they offer less expensive options.  But I'll need to think it out to be sure.




Note on penultimate semester:  This is, definitely, the penultimate semester for this particular degree.  JMU has a policy that all work on a Master's degree must be completed within a six-year timespan.  My six years will run out this year.  I spent six years as an undergrad.  (Technically five-and-a-half undergrad and a half as a non-degree-seeking, but that semester included all undergrad level courses.)  I have now spent almost as many years as a college student as I spent in K-12.