If you are having a hard time finding a book at the ULM Bookstore, or want to find out if someone on campus might have what you need, then look no further than the ULM Book Swap page on Facebook.

Josh Dowell, a graduate student in pre-professional health studies, first came up with the idea of the ULM Book Swap Facebook page around the fall of 2009.

But it wasn’t all him. Dowell said that Tyler Buccola, a junior pre-nursing major, and Alex Jobe, a senior toxicology major, were a big help in the development and maintenance of the Facebook page.

“Since 2011, ULM Book Swap has grown from approximately 400 members to upwards of 1,500. It would have been impossible to manage that kind of group alone,” Dowell said.

One of the many active members of the group, Devan Oetgen, a senior elementary education major, believes that the Facebook page has been a convenient and money-friendly option.

“Selling my books on there has been good considering that the bookstore wouldn’t buy back some of my textbooks in the past,” said Oetgen. “I definitely feel this is a cheaper alternative than buying from the bookstore or Amazon.

Dowell said that it is the willingness of fellow students to sell their books to each other for much less than what they may have originally paid and the selflessness of the members that keep the group so successful.

The Facebook group has helped students save hundreds of dollars on otherwise expensive textbooks.

Cody Grimsley, a senior biology major, is impressed that so many people are willing to help out fellow students manage their textbooks and money.

“It gets stressing every semester when you are having to pay for things on your own and I’m always having problems with shipping,” said Grimsley. “It’s good that this group is here to fall back on. Even though I didn’t even know about it until now.”