Students are Asking About Textbooks

It's the time of the year when students come to the reference desk asking if the NJIT library carries the required textbook for their course. I understand that textbooks especially in the science and engineering disciplines are very expensive and that students often lack the money to buy them. They can certainly save money by purchasing a used copy. The publishers are somewhat "nasty" by unnecessarily revising textbooks thus making the used older editions obsolete. Doe calculus or basic chemistry change over a five year period? I tell students that the textbooks are part of the cost of their education. Their professor feels it is in their best interest to own the book. Buying every textbook would wipe out the library's budget. Even if we did buy every textbook, they would have to be on reserve and only available for a few hours. A student must have access to their textbooks at all time. A chemical engineering professor suggested that students form a study group with one copy of the book available to all. This would save money.