Students find many sources of aggravation during their college tenure, and long bookstore lines certainly make the list. Many students are solving this dilemma by shopping online.

Online textbook sales are a booming business, offering students 24-hour service, reduced prices and the comfort of home delivery. efollett services more than 800 campuses nationwide and offers a buy-back option. Varsity Books was probably thinking about the absent-minded college student when it decided to guarantee home delivery within three days of purchase.

Selling Back

Have books, need cash? Barnes & Noble guarantees buy-back prices at the time of purchase and even foots the bill for return shipping.

Swapping

BookSwap is an electronic bulletin board that lets students take charge. The site lists more than 30,000 titles and boasts about 145,000 users. Rather than shipping books to students, the site plays matchmaker, linking buyers with sellers.

Auctioning

Auctioning off books is another option, thanks to eCampus. This site gives students the option to post books they want to sell, books they need to buy and preferred prices. eCampus then e-mails the bids to interested sellers. Books for auction stay posted for two, five or seven days, depending on the seller's instructions, and there is no obligation to buy or sell. Auction wary? eCampus buys and sells books the old fashioned way as well.




Perks

Some online services are adding perks to attract young scholars. Text Swap offers university-specific areas where students can post class and teacher evaluations. Classbook.com started a book buyback program, so you don't have to worry about listing your books in a marketplace. 1800Student takes matchmaking to the next level by offering love and relationship advice. Sources like TextbookHound go above and beyond the call of duty. The search engine sorts through more than 20 online databases to fulfill book requests.

Beyond College

Online textbook retailers are reaching out to the pre- and post-college demographic now, as well. Specialty Books caters to non-traditional students who need materials for night classes and independent study.

A New Way to Shop the Old Bookstore

Want to stay faithful to the old college bookstore? You may be able to shop it online. At Michigan State University, students can buy books, caps, sweatshirts, key chains and jerseys from the school bookstore without leaving the dorm.