Quincy University students have reported an increased amount of late and missing textbooks during the 2021 fall semester.

Since the beginning of the semester, students have been having trouble getting in the books required for their classes on time. Textbook delivery delays are common at any university but are usually resolved within the first couple weeks of class. However, students said they had not gotten their books well into October.

“We had to submit a paper that was due on the 27^th [October], but so many of us still didn’t have the book, so my professor had to move it over to the next week,” John Maynard said.  

This has caused students to feel uncertain about courses and assignments.

“It’s frustrating when your professors expect you to have your books on the first day. This year I had to wait until a month after classes started to get all my books,” Sam Anderson said.

This problem affects students and teachers alike. Reading assignments, tests and project dates have been frequently pushed back, resulting in confusing and busy schedules.

The university’s bookstore has stated that they have been working hard to address the students’ concerns and getting their books in a timely manner. Bookstore employees stated that they have noticed a greater amount of shipment delays and out-of-stock textbooks.

Normally, a student’s book would only be late for a couple reasons. The book could be out of stock or is no longer being published. When a teacher changes the required textbook just before the semester begins or a student sign up for a class late, the order for the book is placed later and may require more time to arrive.

Poor communication can also be a cause for a late textbook. Students receive notifications from the bookstore through email, which can often be overlooked or misread. The best way to get around this is by visiting the store in person and making sure the details are correct and a solution has been found. The anxiety caused by COVID-19 makes students less likely to go to the bookstore, delaying the issue further.

The main difference about this school year is the whole United States is experiencing a supply chain crisis, indirectly caused by the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The recovery process is proceeding slowly but could continue into the next semester.

Some students felt frustration toward the university, feeling that their tuition money was being wasted on a textbook they did not have.

“I think it’s crucial to try and remain understanding, even if something as important as your education is disrupted. My classmates and I have had to learn to share textbooks at times, which can be frustrating to schedule. The most frustrating thing about textbooks is, that the professors that are so demanding that you get them, often end up never using the material,” Wade Hoover said.

While the bookstore says that this semester’s late textbooks are an anomaly, the delays could continue into the next year. The coming holiday season will add to the delays and could push the problem well into 2022.