"We'd be happy to share with any professor the costs of acquiring textbooks," Sullivan says. "There are no secrets here."

The Shops Around the Corner

But some professors prefer the personal ambience and personalized service of smaller stores.

Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures Bradley S. Epps says that because he teaches most of his classes in Spanish, he habitually orders through Schoenhof's rather than the Coop.

"Schoenhof's is one of the premier foreign bookstores in the country," he says. "They have a very experienced staff."

I've tried it at the Coop, but transcribing the titles is difficult," he continues.

Indeed, Schoenhof's Store Manager Rupert A. Davis insists on employee expertise.

"Everyone has to have knowledge of at least one foreign language," he says.

The Harvard Book Store's head buyer, Carole Horne, says her store has "a handful" of professors who choose them instead of the Coop for textbook orders.

In addition, she says, their ample used book section draws many students searching for textbooks.

This year, the store has begun posting signs to make students aware that it carries books used in Core courses.

But Harvard Book Store's main customer base is drawn by the store's carefully selected academic titles, Horne says.

"Amazon.com has a comprehensive list of all titles available," she says.

"We choose to display and promote books that we think are important," she says, adding that when customers choose a displayed book, they are assured of its quality.

For WordsWorth, too, a handpicked list of titles is key.