The Anthropology Student Organization (ASO) is holding an informational event for its book lending program Feb. 8 to help students with financial needs get free or reduced-cost textbooks.

The program was created by now-graduate student Ryan Strome. After his experience tackling the pressure of getting textbooks during undergrad, he knew he wanted to help those who came after him. 

“I was reflecting and feeling like there must be lots of people in this kind of situation where textbooks are unaffordable or an inconvenient purchase,” Strome said. 

Strome described the program as student mutual aid. Students will be informed at the beginning and end of each semester about the donation process at hand. ASO plans to reach out to students with financial needs to find them free textbooks, he said. The free books could last for either a short amount of time or a full semester. 

The program has successfully collected 25 books solely by word of mouth. Their upcoming meeting on Feb. 8 is when they hope to spread the message even more. “This meeting on the eighth, that’s kind of like our first public appearance to promote the program,” Strome said.

Isabella Sergi, a senior anthropology major, said that the goal of the meeting is to have students from within the department, as well as faculty, attend and learn more about the program. She also hopes to create an environment for people to ask questions and pitch ideas.

The program doesn’t have an estimate or goal regarding how many donated books they get, Strome said.

“If one textbook goes to one student, that’s huge,” he said.

Gigi DeRigo, a junior anthropology major, said she feels strongly for this program due to personal experience.

“I have financial problems and completely rely on government aid, and if the university had more resources, I could have saved a lot of money in the years that I’ve been here,” DeRigo said. “I want to be able to at least provide a little bit of that for other people.”

Strome said many students use their loans to purchase textbooks. This means that a $60 textbook could potentially be hundreds of dollars once that loan accrues interest.

While this exchange is currently only concentrated on the anthropology department, Strome, Sergi and DeRigo shared their desire for the program to spread across campus. 

“Hopefully, other departments will get this idea too and then it can grow bigger and bigger,” Sergi said. “But right now, we’re focusing on just the anthropology department.”

With an emphasis on community and destigmatizing asking for help, this program is in full swing, the students explained. 

“The biggest thing for me is creating solidarity,” Strome said. “We’re hoping to instill within the student body, especially the undergrads, that we have more in common than we don’t.”

Visit the ASO Instagram for information regarding events.

Visit their Linktree for officer and member contacts.

Morgan Hoover is a reporter. Contact her [email protected].