Its simple math.  More USED Books = more savings.  Well Lieberman’s happens to be the #1 bookstore at UDEL for a reason.   We stock more USED books than our competition and they are all priced lower!   Sure sometimes another bookstore may try to sneak in a lower price, $.25 cents lower than ours.  Thats ok.  Let us know and we will meet our obligation.

The fact is that other bookstores spend their time watching OUR pricing because we continually price our books cheaper than the rest of the industry, as well as offering lower specially discounted books to provide you with even more savings.

WE STAND BY OUR GUARANTEE and we wholeheartedly think that if you buy all of your books at all three bookstores, you will always find a lower total price at Liebermans.  The Math is quite simple.

Don’t take our word for it!  Shop and compare.  We are hear to make you happy and earn your business.  We are a student driven bookstore who truely understands your plight and wants to offer the lowest possible prices on textbooks.

Let us know how we are doing.  If you find a price at any of our competitors that is cheaper, just let us know and we will assist.   We thank you in advance for your trust.

Dan Lieberman
Find me on facebook.  (www.facebook.com/udeltextbooks)
You can ask me any questions you have regarding textbooks, buyback and how all of this works.  For the most unbaised textbook advice, and the truth about how things really work in the book business, friend me and fire away.

It’s the end of the semester, and you’ve got a bunch of University of Delaware textbooks that you want to sell back to Lieberman’s.  Here are a few brief guidelines to what will be accepted and what will not, as well as more information to help you through this buyback period!

ACCEPTED:

• General Reading Books
• Trade Books
• Textbooks
• Lab Manuals*
• Study Guides *
• Solution Manuals*
• Workbooks*

NOT ACCEPTED:

• Customs
• Class Notes
• Missing Pages
• Damages

*BASED ON CONDITION.

How are buyback prices calculated?

We understand that selling your books back can be quite a frustrating experience. In order to get the best deals and to be able to decide whether to sell them or not, you have to understand how the process works and the factors at play. The following is a simple guide that explains some of the key factors and key questions we here from students most. Hope this helps!

Lieberman’s always tries to give 30-50% of the sale price. No set buyback prices are given for textbooks–the price can vary due to several reasons:

Book used again next semester – If the book is being used the following semester, Lieberaman’s will pay a higher price, maybe even up to 50% of what you bought it for!

Supply and Demand – each bookstore needs a certain quantity of books. Once they buy back that quantity, the price often decreases to the wholesale price, which is determined by wholesale book companies

Old edition and New Editions pending – often decrease the value of your book because of the newer version coming out

Condition of book

Should I sell my books back now or wait for a later time?

Generally, it is best to sell back your books as soon as possible. If you intend to re-read the text, use it for a future course, or use it for reference, then you should hold on to the book. However, when you keep the book, you take the chance of the value of the book decreasing. The depreciation can be due to several factors, such as mass volumes being easily accessible to everyone, or old editions and new editions pending.

My friend just sold their book back for a higher price than mine, what’s the deal?

Most college bookstores only need a certain amount of textbooks per semester. Once we hit the quote for textbooks needed, the price of the text usually drops to the wholesale prices.

Why are custom textbooks not often bought back?

Custom textbooks are made specifically for the university–often particular to a professor and their course section. With these specially-made books, which can also change between semesters, there are no wholesale prices for the nationwide vendors, since they are not able to sell it to other schools. Occasionally, a custom book does get reused which we would then buyback.

Why can’t we sell back International Editions, Advance Copies, or Teacher’s Editions of textbooks?

Most of those International Editions, Advance Copies, or Teacher’s Editions do not have wholesale value, and cannot be sold or re-sold in the U.S.

Why do I need the CD for my textbook to sell it back?

We often need the CD with the textbook because both components are considered as one. Without the CD, the textbook loses its value and may become unsellable to future students, who may actually need the CD for use in their class.

Dorm-Life: The Necessities

When you’ve never lived in a dorm before, trying to decide what to bring with you and what to leave at home can be a difficult task. A good way to start the process is by contacting your future roommate. Discuss with them who should bring what and maybe even some ideas for setting up the dorm room. Otherwise you’ll end up having two microwaves, two televisions, two VCR/DVD players, two inflatable chairs, etc. By talking to them first you’ll ensure that you only bring what you need and you’ll also get to know them a bit before you move in.

There are some items that you’re going to want to make sure just one of you brings. One of these is an area rug or a carpet. The U of D dorms aren’t carpeted and tend to feel a bit “institutionalized.” Having a carpet will be the first step in making it feel more like home. Another of these items is a television and VCR/DVD player. If you’re planning on following your favorite series or watching the latest movies, this is a must. There’s no public television on campus and movie screenings are far and few in between. The final necessary items are a microwave and a mini-fridge. As a new student you’ll be required to purchase a meal plan, but there will be late-night study sessions that leave you completely famished and also times when you can’t make the scheduled dining hall meals. By bringing these appliances you can avoid going hungry or having spending extra money.

There’s also many items that you will both need to bring. As far as bedding goes, you’ll both need to have extra-long twin size sheets, pillows, pillowcases, comforters, and any other bedding essentials you might require. The dorm rooms are equipped with a bed frame and a mattress, but it’s up to you to make it comfortable for yourself. The dorms will also have dressers and wardrobes, but you’ll want to bring your own hangers and possibly even some closet organizers. IKEA is a great place to get things like that and also any additional furniture you might want for the room. (You’ll be provided with a desk.) Since the furniture is unassembled, it’s often cheaper and easier to move. Inexpensive, mobile furniture makes IKEA a popular choice for all UD students.

The walls of the dorms are a uniform white and will definitely need some “spicing up.” Most college students buy cheap posters to hang around the room. Luckily for UD students there’s a biannual poster sale at the start of each semester in the Perkins Student Center. They have a great variety of subjects and sizes, so there’s definitely something for everyone. You might also want to bring some pictures that remind you of high school friends and your hometown to place around the dorm. As far as things you shouldn’t bring go, leave the candles and hot-plates at home. Your RA will quickly confiscate either of these items because they are considered fire-hazards. So remember, talk to your roommate first and have fun preparing for the big move!

What happens during New Student Orientation?

Lieberman’s Bookstore is fully staffed with UD students who have all gone through being freshmen at Delaware. We understand that the transition can be overwhelming and are more than willing to help make your first time buying your textbooks as simple as possible.
• When you first come in to our store over the summer for New Student Orientation, we’ll answer all of your questions about textbooks and will also take down your information so we can check in with you later in the summer to make sure you don’t have any other questions about how to order your textbooks for the Fall.
• We know how hectic the summer can get for everyone, so we usually like to give our incoming freshmen a follow-up phone call and a friendly reminder so they remember to order their textbooks as early as possible and get the best prices for their books.

Why is pre-ordering my textbooks a good idea?

We guarantee that the sooner you reserve your textbooks, the better your chances are for receiving used books in the best condition we have to offer. Due to the many pre-orders we receive from current students, the sooner you place your order the higher your chances will be for receiving used books at a lower cost. (For example, if you’re taking a common class such as CHEM100 and you have a high order number, chances are that those people who ordered before you will have already reserved many of the used copies of chemistry textbooks.) Therefore it’s always a good idea to order your books as soon as you have a general idea of what your schedule will be (or around the middle of the summer.) Also, if you have to make any later changes to your schedule, we will be happy to make any changes to your order and take out or add any textbooks if you just let us know.

How do I order my textbooks?

There are many ways in which you can pre-order your textbooks. You can:
• place an order through our website
• order by calling into the store (302-283-9980)
• fax us your schedule (302-283-9983)
• mail us your information to:
• 45 East Main Street, Newark DE 19711
• Email us: sales@lubonline.com

In order to do this all you’ll need to do is give us a copy of your schedule since we keep a record in our system of each textbook used for each course, listed by each section and professor. We will also have all the same textbooks as the University bookstore. At this time you’ll also be given the option of either pre-paying for your books with a credit card or putting your books on hold. We suggest prepaying for the books. This is usually more convenient for our customers since the store is often very hectic during this time of the semester, and by pre-paying for your textbooks you’ll be able to come in, pick them up right away, and go.

Why is Lieberman’s the best place to buy my textbooks?

• Our store carries the exact same textbooks as the University bookstore. We have a contract with them and receive all of the information for the upcoming semester’s textbooks from the University’s professors.
• Lieberman’s also sells the most used books on campus because we buy back the most used books.
• We guarantee the lowest prices. If you can find the same book for a lower price at another on-campus bookstore, we will match that price.
• Our store is also designed for easy customer use. All of our textbooks are organized alphabetically on our shelves by class section and number, so you can easily locate your textbooks in the store if need be.
• Our store also specially orders books for customers, so in the case that you may need a specific book for your class that isn’t offered at any other store, we can order that for you at no extra cost.
• Lieberman’s is staffed with UD students who are all familiar with the classes and professors at the University, which often makes buying and asking questions about textbooks much easier.

What do I do in order to pick up my textbooks?

When you place your textbook order you’ll be given a designated pickup date during the first move-in weekend at the beginning of the semester, either during the morning or afternoon.
• On that day you can come into the store and check in at the front, and we’ll have someone go get your box of textbooks for you.
• We’ll then have someone go over your order with you and make sure that all of the textbooks you need are there. If you would also like to make any changes to your order at that time we can help you with that, although it’s always a good idea to let us know ahead of time before you come in for pickup if you need to make any changes to your order.
• Incoming students often have questions about optional versus required books for their classes, and whether optional books are necessary. We always suggest that you check with your professor or someone who has taken the class before if you’re not sure whether you need a certain book for your class.
• If you would still like to buy the book just in case, we allow students to return their books within the drop/add date for classes for the semester.

Can I keep my parent’s credit card on file with the store?

We allow students to keep a parent’s credit card on file with us in order to make paying for textbooks easier and more convenient. This form allows you to make returns, exchanges, or purchase additional textbooks with your parent’s credit card number. You are not required to have their credit card with you at the time of purchase. All you’ll need to do is bring a valid picture ID and we will charge the card for your purchase or credit the card for your return. You can make purchases for books, school supplies, clothing, gift items and more. However, your parent can also restrict the usage of the card to textbooks and supplies only if they wish.

What other components for classes do you sell in your store?

Along with textbooks we also sell other various classroom supplies in our store, such as goggles for lab classes, calculators, paper supplies, art supplies, etc. and other components, such as study guides, supplements, CD’s or DVD’s, internet access codes, and so on. These will be assigned by professors and will be on our shelves according to the class.
**It’s often less costly for students to buy new books in a component package for a class rather than buying them separately. An example would be a textbook which comes with a study guide. If you need to buy both for your class you can often opt to buy them shrink-wrapped together and this will cost less then buying them separately.

What else do I need to know about buying and selling used books?

Used books often have highlighting, writing, or underlining in them. However, if you pre-order your textbooks we try to give you the best copy we have with the least writing on its pages. Also, if there’s a class in which you’d prefer to have a brand new book with absolutely no writing in it, you can specify this when you pre-order your books. It’s also important to note that when you sell back your books to us it doesn’t matter whether they have highlighting or writing in them; it only matters whether they are in decent condition, aren’t falling apart, etc.

What are clickers?

Students often ask what “clickers” are. Clickers look like remote controls and are used in classes to take quizzes and answer questions for the professor. It will be specified on your syllabus and in our system when you pre-order textbooks if you’ll need a clicker for a certain class. You can buy used clickers in our store and can also sell them back to us at the end of the semester.

happy customer isnt stuck with her book

It’s a simple formula actually. When you buy books at our store, we always ask you if you have bought books from us before. We keep a simple account on file with all of your purchases for you. This allows us to go back and to be able to reprint your receipts, in the event you lose them.

We have all been through that drill before. Bring the book back to the on-campus bookstore without a receipt and get stuck with a $100 book you cannot return now. As long as you make sure that we add your account to your order when you are checking out, we will have the receipt on file and there are no risks to getting stuck with the books.

(Patting ourselves on the back) Its just another reason to shop Lieberman’s. We value you as our customer, which is why we put in this extra step and all the extra effort to help you. We don’t want you getting stuck with your books. That’s not a win-win scenario for anyone–and is bad business in general.

For many incoming freshman the appeal of college boils down to one important word- freedom. From the moment your parents reluctantly drive away after moving you into your overwhelmingly small dorm room to that sticky summer day when they are applauding as you eagerly grab your diploma, the campus is yours to explore and engage. So what to do with your newfound freedom? Where should you hang out? Where should you eat? Where should you study? (For those occasional times when you remember why you’re actually living in Newark.) Luckily for you, we compiled answers to all these questions from a group of upperclassmen.

When the weather’s decent, you’ll find a lot of students hanging out on the Green. The Green is the strip of grass right off of Main Street, both in front and behind of Memorial Hall. Most of the University buildings can be found along its edges. Sun bathing, frisbee, soccer, and reading are all popular activities for a warm day in the sun. Another popular hang out is located in Perkins Student Center near the Harrington, Russell, and Gilbert residence halls. The Hen Zone, located in the basement of the center, has pool tables and a selection of video games available to students. On Saturdays during the Fall Semester you’ll find the majority of UD students cheering on the football team at Delaware Stadium. Bring your student id for free entrance and join the swarming mass of blue and gold behind the end posts. They even provide free shuttles to the stadium so you don’t have to make the long trek if you’re understandably feeling a bit sluggish on a Saturday morning.

Memorial Hall

As an incoming freshman, chances are you were required to purchase a meal plan to accompany your housing plan. A bit of advice- take advantage of your meal plan. You had to purchase it so you might as well use it. And contrary to popular belief, you can actually find some pretty good stuff at the dining halls. Russell has the best ice cream selection, complete with hot fudge and a wide array of flavors. At Pencader, on north campus, they offer Premium dinners once a week. These meals are prepared by professional chefs and can be paid for with flex, points, or cash. Look on the Udel dining website for exact dates and menus. Occasionally, however, you might need a break from the noise and predictability of the cafeteria style dining halls. That’s when you hit Main Street. It’s full of restaurants that vary in both price and cuisine. Check out California Tortilla if you’re in the mood for a kicking burrito and friendly employees. Lettuce Feed You, where you can create your own ideal salad, is a good joint for healthy eating. And if you’re in a hurry, run into Peace-a-Pizza for a quick, but far from typical, slice.

So now you know where to eat and hang out, but where should you go to study? If you like a bit of background noise to keep out the dullness of complete silence, you should probably head to Trabant. Here you’ll find plenty of tables full of students studying individually for an exam or working on group projects together.  There’s also quite a few restaurants, like Taco Bell and Quiznos, so you can snack while you work. If you need silence and serenity to really get your brain waves moving, Morris Library is your ideal location. With four floors, there’s always an available desk. If you’re lacking focus, it’s possible to seclude yourself behind endless rows of bookshelves in a far off corner, where you’re sure not to be interrupted. For some of you, coffee is an absolute necessity when studying. Central Perk and Dunkin Donuts are popular refuges for all the caffeine junkies of Newark.  Central Perk is crowded with studiers during the day and Dunkin Donuts, open twenty-four hours, thrives at night.

So now that you’ve got the upperclassmen low-down, it’s time to hit the campus and make the most of your freedom. Take their advice, but also make sure to find out what works for you. Where you prefer to hang out, who you think has the best food, and what kind of study environment you prefer. Before you know it, it will be your turn to return the favor and give your own advice to all the clueless incoming freshman.

Stay On Top: Freshman Year Advice

From a distance, college looks like an endless cycle of partying, hanging out with friends, and extra-curricular activities. But believe it or not, there’s a good deal of academics mixed in there somewhere. Most upperclassmen think that the biggest mistake they’ve made through-out their individual college careers was not taking freshman year seriously. Therefore, it’s extremely important in your first year of college to establish a good balance between your social and academic life. Here are some tips to get you started-

1.       Go to class!!

Freshman year is exciting because it’s typically when we, as young adults, get our first true taste of freedom. Most professors won’t take attendance and none of them will call your dorm wondering why you haven’t made it to class in the last week. Speaking from experience, you should still go. The attendance and participation portion of your grade will suffer deeply from extensive absences and furthermore, so will your test grades. It’s almost impossible to pass a class without attending.

2.       Develop Good Study Habits

Setting aside a few minutes each day to review the material from your classes will make studying for midterms and exams much easier. The most important thing you can do to pass your exams is simply taking the time to study. We all know that in high school the idea of studying was laughable. Most of us just didn’t need to. But in college it’s necessary since your exams are such a large portion of your overall grade and the material is much more difficult. Therefore, go to the library, a coffee shop, or even your friends dorm, just find a place where you can establish a focused study routine and stick to it.

3.       Get to Know Your Professors

In high school you had no choice but to become personally acquainted with your teachers, but in college it becomes your own responsibility. The classes are typically so large that you can sit through a course all semester without the professor knowing your name. It’s not out of a lack of interest; they just have so many students that it can be difficult to remember them all. So take the initiative and introduce yourself in the beginning of the semester. Not only will you get to know an interesting person but you’ll also gain many academic benefits. For example, if you’re having trouble with the material you’ll feel much more comfortable going to their office hours and asking for help when they know who you are.  It’s also useful to develop an academic relationship with them because you will inevitably at one point or another need a professor to write you a recommendation. (For study abroad, internships, graduate school, etc.)

“Brave Souls of Summer”

As of June 1^st, Newark becomes a ghost town reminiscent of the abandoned cities of the Midwest, minus the tumbleweed. All of Delaware’s students quickly disperse to the beaches, their hometowns, and foreign countries for summers full of sun bathing, sight-seeing, and late night hangouts. But what about the students who stay- the brave souls who embark upon a summer of intellectual pursuit while the rest of the student body throws their notebooks and pens aside? I know what most of you are thinking- “summer classes are a drag!” But there are obviously some benefits to partaking or there wouldn’t be two to three thousand students doing so each summer.  And as one of those self proclaimed ‘brave souls,’ I’m going to tell you all about those benefits.

As you might have guessed, the summer classes tend to be small in size. For example, I’ve taken a philosophy class with only seven other students in it. And let me tell you, there’s a reason Delaware has been trying to reduce its professor to student ratio in the past decade. Most importantly, you get greater individual attention from the professor. If you’re having trouble with the material, you can ask for one-on-one help without having to go to their office hours. Therefore, chances are you’ll have a better understanding of the topic than if you were sitting in a one hundred person lecture hall during the Fall with a teacher who couldn’t pick you out of a crowd, let alone remember your name. Because of the small classes you really get to know your professors much more personally. Sure, a few of them are so boring that you’d rather count how many freckles are on your left arm than listen to them speak. But the majority of them are pretty interesting people, and it can be both valuable and entertaining to hear some of their stories or experiences. Furthermore, getting to know your professors better prepares you for that inevitable day when you’ll need to ask for a teacher recommendation. Nothing’s more painful than having to ask a professor who isn’t aware of your existence to write you a recommendation explaining why you’d be a perfect addition to a graduate school, study abroad program, or internship.

Another benefit of summer classes is that they are shorter in length. The first summer session takes place over either five or seven weeks, depending upon the particular course. This is much shorter than the standard ten week semester and as you know, it’s much easier to keep your focus over a shorter time period. (Not to mention there is absolutely nothing going on in Newark during the summer to distract you.) In addition to its limited duration, you can also choose to take only one class at a time. This means an even greater ability to focus. Taking four or five, maybe even six, classes during a regular semester, guarantees that you will occasionally have to neglect your work in one class to complete something in another. In summer session this simply doesn’t happen. You have plenty of time to focus on your singular course, which often leads to better grades. Therefore, summer courses are often a good way to boost your GPA. You can even opt to retake a course which you fared badly in during the regular school year.

I know taking summer courses isn’t the most exciting way to spend your vacation. I’m just saying they’re something to consider. You get to know some interesting people and if you do the work and show up, it’s pretty easy to get an ‘A’ in most classes. Plus, while Newark might be a ghost town, the Delaware beaches are just an hour or two away and are the perfect places to spend your free weekends. So, are you brave enough to give it a try?

Publisher:  So her professor XYZ, we have a new bundle package for your intro book you used last semester!

Prof:  A new bundle package?  What is that?  Do I really need that?  I used the basic book last time and it seemed fine.

Publisher:  Well, the bookstores are ordering alot of the study guide and the extra software that is optional.  If we bundle it all together , we are throwing in the software as a freebie to the student and the overall price is much lower for the students.

Prof:    Well,  I suppose that might be a better deal for the students after all then, right?

Publisher:  Absolutely!  The students wont know what hit them!!!

Back to reality.   As a bookstore attempting to save our customer’s money, we attempt to buy all the components that are listed in the packages.   Fact is however, that some publishers wont even let us know what the pieces are inside the bundle package until it actually arrives.  There are countless stories of huge packages that occur at this campus and other campuses that are simply unnecessary.    You are being forced to buy something that you clearly dont value and its not fair, period.   Its a huge game of cat and mouse that the publishers are playing.   In addition to that, either some professors just need to be informed and educated a bit about these consequences or some of them simply just dont care.

Dont get me wrong,  we all know that most of all professors are good people who do care about your wellfare, but there are always going to be some that operate on their own agenda.  Thats just life and that goes for all types of people.    What is crazy is that this is one of the few industries in the world where the end consumer, and the actual store who provides the product actually have no say in the process of determing what products are to be offered for sale to the customers, and whether the customers need to buy those products or not.

Some bundle packages may actually have a value.   In defense of the bundle package,  I have seen some that are responsible and sensible as the subject material was technology or science based and had some really cool sofware that actually enhanced the learning process.  When this happens its a good thing for you.   The bottom line is that the resposibility falls on you to hold the other parties in this process to task when abuse occurs.   Its like voting.  If you dont vote, dont complain.    If you dont investigate with your professor ahead of time regarding big packages filled with software and other anxialaries, then only you can be held responsible later when you find out its worth nothing next semester and you never even used half of the items in the package.

At Lieberman’s we try as hard as we can to fight against unnecessary packages by offering you as many used copies of components that we can, when we can.

Sound off with your comments.  We would love to hear your feedback.

We have been requesting desk copies for professors for several years and it seems most faculty that take us up on the service enjoy not having to place the orders and asking us to take care of it.

If you are in a pinch, and its the beginning of the semester we can make urgent requests and even provide you with a loaner copy from our shelves until your books arrive.

If you would like to take advantage of this service we recommend you contact our General Manager Binh Phung at 302.283.9980 immediately.