used textbooks in melbourne

February 28, 2010 11:31 PM

Does anyone know where I can buy 2nd hand textbooks in Melbourne, or a good Australia-based online used book supplier?

I've googled but to no avail...

I'm at Melbourne Uni and the bookshop doesn't seem to have any used books.

I want to buy previous editions of (psychology) text books because they are a fraction of the price of the new/latest editions and they're not all that different. I'd rather not resort to using amazon or betterworldbooks and having to have them shipped from America.

thanks if you can help.

posted by beccyjoe to education (12 answers total)

Abebooks is a good source of second-hand books. Alibris also might be worth trying, and they a specific menu item for textbooks.
posted by vac2003 at 11:50 PM on February 28, 2010

You can try Academic and General bookstores. There are a few websites around (can't remember them), though they never had heaps available. Also look for notices up around uni - or try putting some on noticeboards in the areas where most of your faculty classes tend to be held. Sometimes student organisations run book sales.
posted by AnnaRat at 11:51 PM on February 28, 2010

Is it for cost reasons that you want to avoid buying from overseas?

If so, it may not be as expensive as you think. Booko (http://www.booko.com.au/) is good for finding cheap books.

If you're trying to be more environmentally responsible, try Academic Books http://www.academicbooks.com.au/
posted by jedro at 12:08 AM on March 1, 2010

Melb Uni's student union website has some resources for that, IIRC - there was a textbook swap website linked on it, as well as a few others. This was a year or so ago so they should still be there.

There are also a few secondhand bookstores in the city but I can't remember where exactly. Somewhere down Swanston, I think.
posted by Xany at 12:14 AM on March 1, 2010

Instead of buying textbooks you might want to investigate the CAVAL inter-library borrowing system which you're eligible to use. Most of the bigger Melbourne campuses like Latrobe and Monash will have scores of Psyche textbooks and if they're not the prescribed reading for their courses you should be able to grab them and simply keep renewing over the semester.
posted by mechrisd at 12:50 AM on March 1, 2010

Definitely use the student union's book exchange service - I'm pretty sure it still runs. Your own faculty/student society might also have a bulletin board or online system for used books.
posted by kid A at 1:16 AM on March 1, 2010

Monash Uni has second-hand academic bookstores at its various campuses, or used to.
posted by Joe in Australia at 1:30 AM on March 1, 2010

Textbook Exchange is the website my friends use when looking to sell or buy textbooks. There's usually a number of copies of the textbook you want at varying prices, it also offers a small description of the state of the book. I haven't used it myself, but those I know have had no problem with it.

It's a free service, but you do have to sign up.
posted by liquorice at 3:08 AM on March 1, 2010

The Monash book coop still exists at Clayton. You could also try here.
posted by hawthorne at 3:50 AM on March 1, 2010

You say Melb Uni bookshop doesn't seem to have any. Have you asked?
I haven't been there for 9 or 10 years, but they did a twice-yearly 2nd hand textbook buyback, so it should (hopefully) just be a matter of asking where they're keeping the 2nd hand stuff these days.

If not, try Academic and general
http://www.academicbooks.com.au/
posted by CardinalRichelieuHandPuppet at 6:20 AM on March 1, 2010

I came here to recommend Academic and General on Swanston St, but I'm too late, so I'll just 3rd it instead.

Back when I was at La Trobe University in Bundoora they had a second hand bookstore on Campus. Admittedly, that was 15+ years ago now, so who knows if it still exists. If it does, it might be worth the slow trip on the tram to check it out.
posted by damonism at 4:13 PM on March 1, 2010

thanks everyone~! will look into these options.
posted by beccyjoe at 11:19 PM on March 2, 2010