Other What to do with my old physical textbooks?

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SUMMARY

Physical textbooks are increasingly underutilized by students, who predominantly rely on digital formats such as PDFs for their studies. Suggestions for dealing with unwanted textbooks include donating them to libraries, selling them on platforms like eBay and Mercari, or passing them on to individuals who value them. The discussion emphasizes the importance of ensuring that these resources do not end up discarded, particularly in libraries that may not appreciate their value. A new marketplace initiative on Physics Forums has been proposed to facilitate the exchange of textbooks among members.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the current trends in educational resources, specifically the shift from physical to digital textbooks.
  • Familiarity with online selling platforms such as eBay and Mercari.
  • Knowledge of donation processes to libraries and educational institutions.
  • Awareness of community guidelines for trading and selling educational materials in forums.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the best practices for donating textbooks to local libraries and schools.
  • Explore pricing strategies for selling textbooks on eBay and Mercari.
  • Investigate the guidelines for the new Physics Forums Marketplace for buying, selling, and trading books.
  • Learn about the implications of academic integrity related to sharing Instructors Solution Manuals.
USEFUL FOR

Students, educators, and anyone involved in the academic community looking to manage physical textbooks effectively and engage in resource sharing within educational forums.

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Long time member here with a questions that will probably date me. Do students still use physical textbooks these days? I have bookshelves of physics, math, and engineering textbooks that I need to do something with. I'm moving on to a different stage in my life and I don't need all these textbooks. Any suggestions on what to do with them?
 
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From experience. Most students do not use physical textbooks. They mostly use pdf only for assigned problems. Its pretty rare for students to read book nowadays.

The only students who truly read books are those with a genuine passion for what they are studying. Typically, these same students are the ones that excell in there program and go onto graduate studies.

I would keep them for future relatives.
Some people donate them to libraries. But from my experience. Libraries either toss them, or no one bothers to look at them [ I worked at a library for 2 years, and we tossed a ton of books, and i would pick them out of the trash after my shift]

Finally, you can sell them. I wouls suggest looking up prices, and if you do go this route, then list them on sites like ebay,mercari, etsy.

Do not sell them to used bookstores. You will literally get pennies on the dollar.

Or you can chose to donate them.
 
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If they are physics books. I would not mind buying a few. I graduated with a bs in math and 4 classes short of a physics bs.

Worked a bit, then got my MS in mathematics recently. I was considering going onto phd studies in mathematics, but my true passion is physics.

So im reviewing my undergrad physics, in preparation of entering a PhD program in physics. Hopefully in 3 years, I will start applying. [Have to work for a bit first]

So im sure we can help each other out. Pm if interested.
 
^^^^Please pass them on to someone who will truly value them and use them to their full extent. I would hate to see your textbooks thrown away by a library or used book store.
 
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PhDeezNutz said:
^^^^Please pass them on to someone who will truly value them and use them to their full extent. I would hate to see your textbooks thrown away by a library or used book store.
My impression of this and what MidgetDwarf reports is very bad.
To officially study from mostly pdf files instead of real physical textbooks is ________________________(you can fill in the word). To "toss out" the books as what he said the library did is also _______________________.

I can see where this could go; I know I need to avoid feeding that.
 
It is an unfortunate fact that the goal of most Physics 101 students is to get the best possible grade learning the least physics possible. We can bemoan this, but I don't think we can change it.

I suppose some librraies would find these more valuable than others. I'd ask around, but be considering inner-city high schools and/or Tribal Colleges, who might be more appreciative than the NYPL.
 
I don’t know if there was any ambiguity but I was advocating that OP pass them onto @MidgetDwarf

I know PF is not a marketplace platform but if good books can exchange hands in an amicable manner I’m all for it.
 
PhDeezNutz said:
I know PF is not a marketplace platform but if good books can exchange hands in an amicable manner I’m all for it.
Me too, and I know that has been done in the past. Looking at the PF rules, I think it is ok as long as nobody tries to run a used bookstore here. Of course, it would be wise to check with @Greg Bernhardt beforehand.
 
Interesting! Let me take this idea back to the mentors.
 
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  • #10
Vanadium 50 said:
It is an unfortunate fact that the goal of most Physics 101 students is to get the best possible grade learning the least physics possible.
It's not the student's fault. It's the fault of those who later employ them, because they make their employment decisions largely based on student's grades.
 
  • #11
Demystifier said:
It's not the student's fault. It's the fault of those who later employ them, because they make their employment decisions largely based on student's grades.
Debatable (and drifting). A more critical employer representative could and should conduct a test directly on the prospective job candidate. This representative can then determine this candidate's grade for possibly starting the job. THIS WORKS. Fine; not all employers go through such job candidate testing but known to be done lots of times.
 
  • #12
symbolipoint said:
Debatable (and drifting). A more critical employer representative could and should conduct a test directly on the prospective job candidate. This representative can then determine this candidate's grade for possibly starting the job. THIS WORKS. Fine; not all employers go through such job candidate testing but known to be done lots of times.
You'd need an HR that knows Physics themselves in order to evaluate the test. How likely would that be?
 
  • #13
WWGD said:
You'd need an HR that knows Physics themselves in order to evaluate the test. How likely would that be?
The human resource person would not conduct the test. An engineer, or chemist, or biologist, or microbiologist, or computer scientist or programmer would do that.

The HR person only checks if candidate had the jobs he says, behaves like a reasonable person, maybe some other things. The manager or technical person tests job-seeker to find if still has important skills and knowledge that are needed and make sense for the job to be filled.
 
  • #14
I thought technical interviews were common for jobs. At least for programming and data science jobs they are.

Of course you have to make it past HR first.
 
  • #15
Two words. FizzBuzz.
 
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  • #16
Vanadium 50 said:
Two words. FizzBuzz.
Lol. Done that challenge before on leetcode. Passed it. Can’t remember how it ranked on the distribution of time/space complexity.


Actually I think everyone has done that.
 
  • #17
See https://blog.codinghorror.com/why-cant-programmers-program/

FizzBuzz is used as a test to determine if a prospective programmer can write code at all. Apparently, this is not a good assumption. I have personally interviewed CS grads who could not, for example, sum the first 10 odd numbers.
 
  • #18
And for the record, the smallest odd number is not 3.
 
  • #19
gmax137 said:
Me too, and I know that has been done in the past. Looking at the PF rules, I think it is ok as long as nobody tries to run a used bookstore here. Of course, it would be wise to check with @Greg Bernhardt beforehand.
I have a couple that my ex bought for me. No point in them sitting on my book shelf when a pf-er could be having a look.

If Greg thinks it's a good idea I'll go through everything and put a list up.
Shipping was dirt cheap when I last bought a few books from the Waterstones used book platform, so I don't mind paying and sending to a PO box.
 
  • #20
The mentors are still discussing the opportunity. Many years ago, I gave away a couple dozen books to PF members just sitting on my bookshelf. That was gratifying.
 
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  • #21
Greg Bernhardt said:
The mentors are still discussing the opportunity. Many years ago, I gave away a couple dozen books to PF members just sitting on my bookshelf. That was gratifying.
What are PFers doing sitting on your bookshelf. Just reading books??
 
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  • #22
WWGD said:
What are PFers doing sitting on your bookshelf. Just reading books??
Midget dwarf must be one of them, I hope he feeds them ok. Lets them mine occasionally.
 
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  • #23
WWGD said:
What are PFers doing sitting on your bookshelf. Just reading books??
Most of the members at PF are gnomes just sitting on my bookshelf :biggrin:
 
  • #24
1725564175671.png


https://www.ltdcommodities.com/product/gnome-shelf-sitters/LT_105185
 
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  • #25
Hey folks, I'll have a separate thread to announce this later in the week, but we decided to go ahead with this idea and should have it open by next week.
 
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  • #26
I am one happy bookshelf gnome!
 
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  • #28
@Greg Bernhardt should there be an additional rule about NOT giving away, selling, or trading Instructors Solution Manuals?

I’m sure there are many professors on this forum but unless that is verified I don’t think just anyone should be able to nab an Instructors Solution Manual. It could lead to PF being involved in academic dishonesty and I know those are not PF values.
 
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