Students' Textbook Agency Plan Fails to Gain Approval of HSA

An undergraduate's plan to form a used textbook agency failed yesterday to win support from the Harvard Student Agencies, because of a possible conflict with bookstores in the Square.

The proposed textbooks agency would have bought used volumes from College students and re-sold them on a door-to-door basis. An alternative would have been to market the used books through established local stores.

Dustin M. Burke '52, Director of Student Employment, pointed out yesterday that the proposed agency could be a source of considerable conflict between the HSA and local bookstores, if the HSA were to sponsor the agency.

"For that reason," he emphasized, "the HSA will not cooperate with the undergraduate who plans to form the textbook agency. Of course, he may, if he wishes, go ahead without our help."

Burke said that bookstores in the Square were overwhelmingly opposed to the idea of such an agency. However, he conceded that undergraduates would like a student textbook agency "because it would divert business from local stores, and force them to raise their prices for used books."