Wednesday, October 14, 1998
Steep prices for course materials
create demand for booklending
USAC: Student government-run program lets Bruins borrow, instead
of buy, texts for quarter
By Barbara Ortutay
Daily Bruin Staff
While the cost of textbooks is skyrocketing, alternatives to
shelling out that $200 or $300 each quarter at the UCLA textbook
store are often difficult to find.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council’s (USAC)
quarterly booklending program is one such alternative – lending
books to students who demonstrate financial need.
"It’s one less worry, with the high cost of education," said
Peter Lopez, a second-year biology student, who runs the
program.
Currently, there is a limited number of textbooks available,
about 70 to 80 altogether, according to USAC President Stacy
Lee.
"The books go really quickly," she said. "There is a very high
demand."
Unlike the library reserves, which lend books for three days at
most, students using the booklending service can keep their books
for the entire quarter.
In order to get books from USAC, students have to apply at the
beginning of each quarter and demonstrate financial need.
According to Lopez, students don’t have to receive financial aid
in order to be eligible for the program.
"If your parents make more money than what makes you eligible
for financial aid, but not enough, you may still be able to get
books," he said.
The program, which began three years ago, is called Students
First! Booklending Service after the name of the USAC slate that
was in power at that time.
"The number of books we have has increased since," Lee said.
Some students, however, are not impressed with the program.
"If they are going to have this, it should be more effective,
and they should have more books," said second-year English student
Traci Spencer.
"It’s ridiculous that there are 70 or 80 books for 35,000
students," she added.
Many students, like Spencer, may not be aware of the booklending
program, using only the library reserves as an alternative source
of textbooks.
Textbooks for South Campus classes are the most popular,
probably because they tend to be the most expensive, Lopez
said.
Despite lack of publicity, the booklending program is still very
much in demand. But, without advertising, it may fail to reach
students who most need it.
Library reserves lend out textbooks only if a professor places a
request. According to Stan Patrick, head of circulation at the
College Library in Powell, these books are also in high demand.
"We are pretty busy all the time," he said.
Usually, there is one book available in the College Library for
every 20 students in a class, with a maximum of four books for any
particular class.
Professors also set the loan period, which can range from two
hours to three days.
USAC’s booklending program is usually funded by the chancellor’s
interaction fund. However, the program has not applied for or
received any money this quarter. According to Lee, the council is
currently looking for other ways to support this service, including
donating their own books to the program.
"It’s a direct service to students, and it’s very
important,"said Lee.
"We are currently revamping the whole program, so hopefully
we’ll have more books next quarter," she added.
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