 The Next Big Thing: Book Finder
In the never ending determination to become "The Ultimate Guide to Classes" I have determined the next big feature that if all goes according to plan will be implented for public open beta use come Summer 2005. This next feature is titled: Book Finder.
After spending about $300 on books this quarter, and looking at all my friends do the same I thought there had to be a more reasonable way of buying books. It is possible to order books on amazon.com after finding the ISBN numbers, and it is possible to buy through book exchanges on campus but all of those are a lot of work and given our busy student lifestyles they're not always reasonable to do.
What I envision is being able to search for schedules and being presented with the list prices/used prices (on amazon.com) for the books you need for the classes you are searching for. This would make buying books for your classes much easier, it would hopefully give enough time for the books to arrive before classes begin as well. One great side effect of this would being able to sell your book back on amazon.com to other people for nearly the same price you bought it for! (Minus shipping) Bringing the cost of books to approx. $30 a quarter for the average student.
The One and Only Hurdle:
-Getting a list that link CRNs - to - ISBNs.
If the school does not provide the information to me directly, I do have alternative methods but they will provide a less definitive list then otherwise available. And nobody wants to buy the wrong book for a class... so accuracy is key.
This is where I need help! I know the information is out there, other bookstores off campus somehow get it, how can I get it? Who do I ask? Is it available digitally? If you work at a bookstore that is on or off campus please post or PM me anything you may know that may help get the ISBN list!
26000+ students could definately benefit from this feature! This is going to be the next big thing. |