Before I get started, let me just tell you that I’m not ignoring all the wonderful (and sometimes odd) startups that announced at TechCrunch50 and DEMOFall08. In fact, I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the reporting. It’s going to take m a couple of days to work my way through it all.
Until then, I’ve got some other interesting startups to call your attention to. In fact, if you’re a college student, or the parent of a college student, you might be more than a little interested in TextBookRevolt.com.
Until recently, this site was known as SocialBib. TextBookRevolt not only makes more sense, but it is the perfect descriptor. I kept a few of my college textbooks – mostly my literature books and maybe a few of the acting books. I hurriedly sold back the $90 general geology books and recieved in turn my $20 from the bookstore. Really, the cost of textbooks is infuriating. A few years back I taught Computer Science at a local college and I went out of my way to find regular books that were available on Amazon.com for affordable prices.
But Calculus, Biology, Programming, and other courses aren’t as fortunate. The books are just going to cost a lot of money. If your professor hasn’t gone e-book yet, then you might want to turn to TextBookRevolt. It’s sort of the perfect combination of Bookcrossing.com and your local used book store.
The basic premise is that students post the books they want to give away and the books they need. The site will help you find a match. Ideally, you’ll find a match on your own campus, but you may have to ship out books. (In which case, the site encourages you to use the low-cost USPS Media Mail option.) You can’t wait until the last minute to use this site, but it can definitely save you some money. You’re giving away your textbooks, but you’re also getting books in return.
I can’t tell you a whole lot more than that, as it requires a .edu address to register for the site. That keeps journalists and spammers out of the site. TextbookRevolt also has a Facebook application, making it even easier for their core audience to connect. I know if I was in college I’d definitely give this site a try.
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