You may find yourself being more cautious about your textbooks than any other book you own. And why wouldn’t you?

After all, we all know how expensive textbooks can be. As a result, we want them to be protected at all costs. Any serious damage could mean shelling out another few hundred dollars for a replacement copy.

But how do we protect our textbooks? Is there a secret formula?

Well, there’s no secret formula — but there is a great product to invest in.

Textbook covers are the best way to protect your textbooks from damage. Let’s have a look at why you should invest in a few. Let’s also look at the many ways in which you can protect your textbooks and keep them safe from damage.

Why You Should Consider Textbook Covers

We don’t often think about the importance of protecting the outer layer of our textbooks. After all, isn’t the information inside what counts?

But if you invest in a textbook cover you not only prevent your book from damage but by preserving its condition you have a greater chance of reselling it.

Textbook covers can be bought directly. This is the easiest way to protect the cover of your book. If you are unable to afford a book cover, you can also make your own.

The best homemade cover is to use heavy construction paper. Make sure you buy a large sheet of construction paper. You should lay your book down, open, with the cover facing upward. Then you should roll your construction paper over the cover until it is fully obscured.

Then you cut the excess paper and tape the construction paper to your textbook cover. We suggest that you keep as much construction paper as possible in case you need to make another cover again.

There are additional precautions to take to protect your textbooks. Let’s have a look at them.

Temperature

You should never keep them laying directly in sunlight for too long. Ideally, your textbook should be indoors as often as possible. Your home should be kept at room temperature — 70 degrees Fahrenheit will do it. If you prefer a cold temperature that also works. 

But your temperature at home should never be hot unless it is needed. Your textbooks will survive in colder temperatures.

You should also not keep your textbooks in the attic or in a box for too long. This can cause it to be exposed to moisture and can lead to mold growth on your textbooks!

Cleaning

Your textbooks should be cleaned regularly. If you’ve placed a book cover on your textbook, take it off once in a while and gently wipe the cover with a wet tissue.

If your textbook has gathered dust, make sure to clean this off. The longer your textbook lies on your bookshelf, the greater the likelihood of it gathering dust is. One of the best ways of removing dust is to use a soft brush attachment to vacuum the dust.

With this being said, you also want to make sure that your bookshelf is dusted. 

You will also want to remove all your books from your bookshelf and give it a thorough wipe before placing your books back.

Organizing

It is imperative that you organize your textbooks appropriately so as to conserve them. Make sure they are always kept upright on your desk or bookshelf. Use a bookend if the need arises.

You also want to make sure that your books are organized according to their size. Have larger textbooks arranged to start from the left side of your bookshelf. Then your textbooks should get smaller as the shelf comes to an end. But make sure that there is uniformity in how they are organized.

If there are any books that do not fit well in a bookshelf, then you can stack them on top of one another. Make sure that a stack is not too large. No more than four books should be stacked on top of each other.

When stacking books, make sure that the heaviest book is always on the bottom. The lightest book should, of course, be on the top.

You also want to make sure that you are not having to force a textbook to fit on a bookshelf. Doing so will greatly damage your textbooks.

What Not to Do

What are some things that you should avoid to look after your textbooks?

You should make sure that your bookshelf is not placed along an exterior wall. This is where you are most likely to experience a higher temperature and a higher level of humidity. The combination of the two of these will likely damage your textbooks.

If you can place your bookshelf away from an exterior wall, this is the ideal scenario. Placing it against an interior wall is fine.

If you need to repair a damaged book cover, you shouldn’t use glue or adhesive tape. This can cause further problems for your book cover. The best way is to actually hire a qualified conservator. If this is not an option, you may wish to purchase a new copy altogether.

When removing your book from a bookshelf, make sure you take it from the middle rather than grabbing it from the top. Doing so will damage the spine over time. When using a bookmark, use an actual bookmark. Folding a page, using a sticky note, or even a paperclip will lead to damage in the long run.

As we mentioned previously, your book cover should always be cleaned with a wet tissue. Using an oil or even a leather cleaner (for leather-bound books) is not the best idea.

Look After Your Books

Now that you know the benefits of textbook covers and the other ways to maintain and look after your textbooks, you are ready to conserve your textbooks and let them last longer.

Be sure to read our other great articles on textbooks and the college lifestyle!

When you applied to college, you probably knew that your university tuition would be incredibly expensive. 

But did you ever think about how expensive your textbooks would be? The cost of your textbooks does, unfortunately, add up and this can wreak havoc on your bank account. 

So what can you do to save money? The obvious answer is to look for cheap textbooks, secondhand books, rent textbooks, etc.

But have you ever considered looking for textbook scholarships? Have you ever heard of textbook scholarships?

We won’t be surprised if you haven’t. But these are a great way to earn money to purchase textbooks.

What Are Textbook Scholarships?

We all apply fervently for scholarships to earn money to pay for our college tuition. We also encourage you to look for textbook scholarships so that you can save even more money when purchasing or renting your textbooks.

Here’s what you should know about textbook scholarships and receiving money for textbooks:

1. Federal Student Loans

If you haven’t already, you can apply for a federal student loan. This means that if you qualify you may receive a loan from the government that can go toward your university expenses. You can use this money for purchasing or renting your textbooks.

You usually qualify for these loans if your overall income is below a certain threshold – which will be detailed on the application. You will find low-interest rates and a flexible plan to pay your loan back.

2. Private Student Loans

If you are unable to secure a federal student loan, your next option is to apply for a private student loan.

If you have a good credit score, you can consult your bank or another lender to apply for a private student loan. This would also allow you to spend your loan on your textbooks. 

Make sure you ask about the interest rates and any possible payment plans of paying back your student loan. You want to make sure that you can easily afford it before taking the loan.

3. The Helping Hands Book Scholarship

If you prefer to skip a loan and go straight to a scholarship, you’ll want to consider the Helping Hands Book Scholarship. This is a scholarship that is offered twice per year. The deadline for the Fall Semester is to apply by July 15. The deadline for the Winter Semester is to apply by December 15.

You will receive from $100 to $1,000 for the semester to use for your textbooks. You will have to fill out a short application, pay a low fee (usually $5), and submit a resume and current transcript.

Even if you qualify for a loan, we recommend applying for the scholarship. The more money that you have, the better your chance of saving money on your textbooks.

4. Carl A. Scott Book Memorial Fund Scholarship

This scholarship is targeted toward minority students (Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American) who have shown a commitment toward social justice. If the student is pursuing a degree in Social Work, they have a greater chance of receiving the scholarship.

You will receive a $500 scholarship to pay for your textbooks. You need to have a grade point average of at least 3.0 to apply. The scholarship is provided by the Council on Social Work Education.

5. The Passageway Scholarship Program

This scholarship program is targeted toward neglected and troubled youth. This not only offers scholarships but also offers book grants to help pay for your textbooks.

This scholarship works for four-year universities, trade schools, as well as to community colleges. 

It has been revolutionary in helping disadvantaged students in changing their lives around by making it easier for them to attend university and make books more affordable.

6. Barnes and Noble Scholarships

Barnes and Noble offer $500 scholarships each semester that can go toward your textbooks. This scholarship is funded by corporate philanthropy funds. 

This is available for undergraduate students who have a GPA of above 2.0 The students must also show that financial aid is needed (as they need to prove when filing for a Federal Student Loan). 

Different university campuses provide these scholarships and may provide an opportunity multiple times during a semester.

You can combine this scholarship with as many other scholarships as possible. As the requirements are not very rigid, we would strongly recommend applying for this option.

7. NACE Book Scholarship Program

If you are a student member of NACE, you are eligible to apply for its book scholarship program. These scholarships are worth up to $1,000. These are specifically available for graduate students.

One will need an above-average grade point average and provide two letters of recommendation when applying for the scholarship. It is available for North American and International students.

If you happen to be a student member of NACE, we strongly recommend that you apply for this book scholarship program.

8. Casimiro Foundation Book Scholarships

This is another unique scholarship program. If you are a business student at a two-year or four-year university, you can qualify for a book scholarship from the Casimiro Global Foundation.

Students who are eligible must have a grade point average above a 2.0 The scholarship is available for part-time and full-time students. The financial needs of the student are also considered and the students with greater needs are more likely to receive a scholarship.

You should reach out to your campus financial aid office to see if they have any specific information regarding this scholarship. Business students often have some of the most expensive textbooks, so it behooves all of them to apply for this scholarship.

9. Other Ways to Save

Finally, we continue to recommend that you look at the many options to save money on your textbooks. Consider borrowing textbooks from students who have already taken the course.

Consider purchasing or renting secondhand textbooks. If the digital version of the textbook is cheaper, we suggest that you opt for this – no matter how much a printed copy may entice you!

Grab Your Books

Now that you know the textbook scholarships and other ways to save for your textbooks, you should start applying and get the money to grab your books!

Be sure to read more great articles on textbooks and how to survive college!