James Madison University sophomore Ammar Shallal didn't think twice about dropping $600 on textbooks his first semester at school. But then he found himself at the campus bookstore doing it again a few months later. "It really starts to add up," he says. "Textbooks are so expensive."

Students across the country have come to similar realizations as they plunk down an ever increasing chunk of dough to pay for every title on their professors' syllabuses. Take University of California students. The average kid there spends $898 on books a year, 40 percent more than seven years ago, according to "Ripoff 101," a report released in January by the State Public Interest Research Groups' Higher Education Project. The report blames publishers for the increased costs, particularly their practice of bundling titles with pricey CD-ROMs and workbooks that never escape their shrink-wrap, as well as their pumping out of overly frequent new editions, thus rendering used books worthless. The group urges publishers to update textbooks with supplements, instead of new editions, and experiment with online publications to reduce production costs. Until these ideas are adopted, however, students are stuck footing the bill.

Of course, used books have always been a low-cost alternative. Instead of relying on campus bookstores, which often buy back books from students at very low prices and resell them at much higher ones, many schools have online book exchanges to eliminate the middleman. At Brown University's bookstore, a new edition of The Norton Shakespeare, Based on the Oxford Edition: Tragedies, for example, sells for $42.60. A used version would go for $31.95. Through the Brown Daily Jolt textbook exchange it sells for $25. Shallal and his classmate Jack Kahan started Underdogbooks .com last year, even using a courier service as a way of encouraging participation.

Early bird The main problem with campus book exchanges--and relying on the campus store for used tomes--is limited supply. Luckily, there are books lurking in dorm rooms in every state, so wider Internet book exchanges can also be a boon for students looking for a bargain. Bigwords.com has a search engine that scours prices for used and new books all over the Web. Book buyers should also peruse eBay and its subsidiary Half .com, which will merge with the online giant this summer.

When it proves impossible to find a used book--especially if a teacher demands a newly published title--try book behemoths like Amazon.com, barnesand noble.com, and Walmart.com. They can often undercut smaller bookstores as long as shipping doesn't get too expensive. And international sites frequently have dramatically lower rates than their American counterparts. When Kahan couldn't track down a used copy of a business textbook, he found it on a site in Singapore. Even with shipping, he chopped about $50 off the price tag. That's why three Williams College students launched Bookcentral.com, which sells international editions.

Splitting the cost and sharing the book with your friend is another option. And last, but not least, students can always head to the library. Many schools have a few copies of all required reading available on reserve, meaning they can be checked out for only a few hours at a time. Yes, it's a hassle, but it's completely free. Just don't forget to give the book back. -Vicky Hallett