Date of Award

6-15-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2017.

Department

Computer Engineering

First Advisor

Ben Steichen

Abstract

As the beginning of each university semester or quarter commences, so does the rush to acquire books for classes. The search for school books is a busy and important task for many students. However, an entire slew of problems and frustrations emerge with this academic race to gather books. To begin, students have to deal with the traditional frustrations of expensive textbooks sold at the university bookstore which is especially troublesome for those on a tight budget. Additionally, required textbooks for classes may not be available at the bookstore or require restocking which can take an unknown amount of time. Because of this, students turn to cheaper, faster, and more efficient alternatives for acquiring school books including online retailers such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

While the Internet makes book shopping appear easier, there exist issues that come with it. Students have to put in more effort ordering online, pay for extra shipping, and wait for their books to arrive. Also, online shopping for books is incredibly decentralized with no convenient platform to cater to students' needs. Students must first spend time finding out which books are required for each class and then spend even more time comparing prices from multiple online retailers. In addition, once a student completes a class he or she may no longer need the book. As a result, the student has no convenient method of disposing the book and must now sell it, throw it away, or keep it. Overall, the process of acquiring books in university is disorganized, stressful, and inconvenient for students.

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