As a college student at Kent State, you have a few options when it comes to selling and buying textbooks.

You can use the Kent State bookstore, explore websites such as Amazon and eBay or make posts on your social media page.

But what if you wanted a quicker way to see what books students are selling on your campus?

Senior marketing major Josephine Esau created Textbook Hookups, a website allowing you to post and search for book listings according to location and your specific college campus.

“I had such a hard time finding students on campus who were selling books for classes they had just taken.” Esau said. “I found there was no medium to connect us through the school.”

Esau also said when she ordered her books online, sometimes it would be the wrong book.

“On this website, it will be people who just took the course, so it’s for sure.” Esau said.

Greg Blundell, Management and Information Systems professor at Kent State’s Stark Campus, said Esau was always offering suggestions on how things could be done differently.

“She was adventurous.” Blundell said. “I could see that her skill and her focus could change into something.”

Esau came up with the Textbook Hookups idea for a project in her Intro to Entrepreneurship class.

“In all the intro classes, students are required to come up with an idea and they have to pitch the business,” Marketing and Entrepreneurship instructor Denise Easterling said. “The elements I like about the project is everyone comes up with an idea for a business because everyone is capable of it.”

Easterling also said about 5 to 10 percent of her Intro to Entrepreneurship class came back to talk to her about actually wanting to start their business ideas, but Esau came in with the website already done.  

Textbook Hookups’ website launched

in December 2013.

“What makes it unique is it allows you to look up books through school and area.” Esau said. “If someone searches the book they can message the owner and set up a public location where they can exchange.”

The website is free to use for the rest of the spring and summer semesters.

“When it’s not free, it’s going to be a small listing fee per book.” Esau said. “The listing fee per book would be $2.15. Most places use 10 percent. You could list all your books and get the same for one book on any other website.”

Esau is currently promoting her business through social media and introducing the business to classes.

For more information visit the Textbook Hookups website.

For more information visi the Textbook Hookups website.

Contact Alexis Cummins at [email protected].