The days of waiting in line for textbooks are over. Sort of.

The semi-annual Student Association Book Exchange held at the beginning of the semester provided students with an economical way of selling and buying used textbooks, SA vice president for Academic Affairs Elizabeth Cox said.

Led by Cox, the SA’s Book Exchange bought and sold more than $4,000 worth of books, estimated to be the highest total ever, Cox said.

Students set their own prices for selling back used texts. The SA receives a small amount of money for each sale.

“The book exchange is not about (SA) money,” Cox said. “It is about providing an excellent student service while garnering positive publicity for the SA.”

Former SA President Scott Adams started the Book Exchange in January 1995. It is usually held in an unfrequented part of campus, such as the fifth floor of the Marvin Center, but this was the first year the Book Exchange was held on the Marvin Center’s H Street Terrace. This year, students could use credit cards to buy used textbooks, which was previously not possible, Cox said.

SA leaders said the Book Exchange is organized and efficient, but problems with data entry did not permit the return of students’ money until two to three weeks after they had sold back the used textbooks. Cox said the problem would be fixed by next semester and indicated that students should receive their money back within a week of selling their used books.

“Besides, the differences between a second and third edition of the same textbook are very minimal, and who wouldn’t want to buy a cheaper textbook?” she asked.

Freshman Jon Finkel also gave the Book Exchange positive ratings.

“(The book exchange) helped me save enough money for a few more dinners at (Thurston Dining Hall),” Finkel said.