They must file and keep track of all these books throughout the semester and then the same process is repeated at the end of term. Also, the parties involved aren t getting required reading lists on time. I received an order for a textbook from a professor just last week, Bowman said. Barton suggests a cutoff date, say Spring Break or the mid term period, past which the bookstore can no longer furnish the library with copies of textbooks placed on order. Instructors may continue to order required textbooks all throughout the semester but students cannot expect to find them on reserve after a certain point in the semester.
Duplication is another problem.
Textbooks are not ordered or filed according to their instructors. Several might be using the same book and considering the costs of each we can hardly afford to be buying too many copies of anything. Some instructors keep their personal copies of required textbooks on reserve, after the bookstore has incurred the expense of furnishing an extra copy. Of course costs are at the center of every problem and this situation is not any different. In some cases, yes, but this is actually a positive reflection on the cost of tuition in Texas, according to Abby Kratz, Director of Mary and Jeff Bell Library.