Bookstore’s Web site lacks ISBN numbers

One of the advantages to the technology revolution is the ease with which information can found online. And when Barnes & Noble begins including ISBN numbers with course textbooks by July 2010, it will be even easier.

The changes will be in compliance with the Education Act of 2007, Jade Roth, Barnes & Noble College Booksellers vice president, said.

At the university’s bookstore, Barnes & Noble provides students with their course textbook listings at their Web site.

Bookstores at South Dakota State University, Black Hills State University and Northern State offer online ISBN listings.

While ISBN numbers make it easier to price compare with competitive booksellers online, Roth said the ISBN number may not prevent students from ordering the wrong book from a different supplier. Sometimes, more than one version of a book can have the same ISBN number if updated book versions are not altered to the point of requiring a new number, Roth said.

The USD Barnes & Noble store directed all questions to Roth, and Roth said ISBN numbers were probably not currently listed on the store’s site because listing won’t be mandated by law until July 2010.

Freshman Kaitlyn Jefferson said she used ISBN numbers to find class books at a former private school.

“It would be good because we would have cheaper books,” freshman Kaitlyn Jefferson said.

But freshman Max King thinks the added ISBN listings won’t make finding textbooks any easier.

“I would get more from general information,” King said. “I assume that it covers all the ISBN numbers.”

Reach reporter Gabe Mambo at Gabe.Mambo@usd.edu.

4 comments

USD Prof

Mon Nov 9 2009 13:43

Dear USD Students, I suggest emailing your professors about 2 weeks before the course begins. Explain you are buying the book for their course and ask if they will provide you the ISBN, Title, Year, Publisher, etc. Sometimes your professor even has a JPEG of the cover of the book---so you can double check that you have the correct version. Your professors are JUST as frustrated with the bookstore as you are. We'll gladly help you if we can. Go Yotes.

Your name

Sat Nov 7 2009 14:44

My favorite part is getting kicked out of B & N when you go to the shelves to write down the ISBN numbers of your books... real professional

Matthew Branca

Fri Nov 6 2009 07:26

Barnes and Noble run College Boosktores have taditionally made it very difficult for students to get information ragarding textbooks without the student coming into the store, usually having to wait until 2 to 3 weeks before classes start. They do not provide information over the phone, on their websites or even in easiy to access printed lists. It's a trade off that Insitutions give away when contacting out their store operations. barnes and Noble does it to protext their market share. For several years, The College Boosktore industry as a whole has been accepting of the fact that students need to be able to find the best price for their textbooks, even if that means going to antoher source.

The textbook requirements of HEOAA came about because of the monoply that lease operators want to create in regard to the textbooks they provide and sell on the campuses they serve. Indeed, it is sad, that the operators are only changing because of the legislation.

Matthew Branca, Director
The College Store at Penn College

Your name

Thu Nov 5 2009 10:59

Ah, I'm glad B&N won't change anything until the law makes them. Way to look out for your customers!

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