De Anza Student launches site to give alternative to bookstore

Are you fed up with the exorbitantly high prices of college textbooks?

With the price of textbooks often exceeding that of De Anza College fees, many students dish out several hundred dollars to use their textbooks for a mere three months. Students then sell them back to the bookstore for a fraction of what they paid, if their books are bought back at all.

John Maxwell, a computer science major, is tired of it, and has decided to do something about it. Maxwell, along with Steven La, a high school senior, are the creators of CampusEagle.com, a Web site that allows De Anza students to post their old textbooks online, much like Craigslist.

Students interested in selling their old books for a fair price can create an ad listing, including all of the pertinent information such as title of the book, asking price, seller's e-mail address and the instructor's name. From there, all communication is between the seller and potential buyer, who negotiate a price and set a time and place to make the exchange.

Maxwell's primary source of marketing for the site is posting fliers, although the creators have a Facebook group with 137 members. Anyone can join the group and Maxwell "hopes to add more features and expand to other colleges," he said.

The site was launched before the end of the winter quarter, with the goal to be up and running for spring quarter. The 18-year-old entrepreneur, is in his third year at De Anza, started in the middle college program during his sophomore year at Cupertino High. He has been accepted to four UCs and is waiting to hear from two others before he makes a final transfer decision.