Grand Valley State University students have a new option when purchasing textbooks this fall. GVSU Save, a new initiative from the Laker Store, is a completely digital and convenient way for students to get course materials.

The process begins once a professor chooses to use GVSU Save for their class content. Then, the Laker Store will directly work with the publisher and negotiate the most reasonable price for students. The price of the books will be automatically charged to a student’s account and the information will be loaded into Blackboard. On the first day of class, students will have digital access to the required materials. 

Students that want to purchase these books elsewhere or drop the class are able to opt out of the GVSU Save program within the first two weeks of classes. The money will either be refunded or not charged. Although, according to the Laker Store, most students didn’t opt out. 

GVSU Save strives to help students, faculty and staff have a more convenient and affordable purchasing process, according to the Laker Store. If an instructor wants to use digital course materials via GVSU Save, the Laker Store no longer has to pay publishers to sell books in-store or physically stock the books. 

Since the materials are all online, it is impossible to go out of stock. Students using GVSU Save will no longer have to wait for their books to be restocked. GVSU student Raigan Novotny said she was glad one of her professors used GVSU Save for this reason.

“I think more professors should use this because buying books can be stressful if you don’t get them shipped in time or if you can’t find them at the store,” Novotny said. “Last year, my books took a while to ship and I missed assignments because of it, and I like that these books are online so I don’t have to carry heavy books to class.” 

Like Novotny, more students are purchasing e-books or course codes to lighten their load on the way to class. With technology forever growing, GVSU Save presents a digital, time-saving way to get course materials with just a click of a button. 

While the new digital option of buying books is more affordable and beneficial than physically buying books, technology will always come with problems according to GVSU student Georgie Findlay. 

“I had a little trouble with accessing the book. It didn’t show up on the first day for me and for some of my other classmates,” said Findlay. “But after my professor contacted the Laker Store, it was resolved. Other than the whole tech mix-up, I would recommend it because it definitely saved me money.”

According to the Laker Store, technological problems like Findlay’s are anticipated, but rare and will always get resolved quickly. 

GVSU Save has introduced a cost-efficient and useful book-buying process for the GVSU community. It allows students to get a low price on their course materials, while also helping instructors know their students are getting the right books.