Students Search for Elusive Books

Harvard Square may be the bookstore capital of the world, but three weeks into the semester, some students are still hunting for their required reading.

With enrollment in certain courses surpassing estimates, students have had to make do with readings on reserve at campus libraries until new orders can be filled.

Foreign Cultures 52, "Society, Religion, and Politics in Iran" is one of several courses where enrollment drastically exceeded estimates, attracting 275 students instead of the expected 85.

After the first shipment of one of the course's required books, An Introduction to Shi'i Islam, was sold out, the publisher's supply was exhausted. As a result, the book will not be available for purchase this semester.

"When you choose a text for a course, there is no way of knowing how many books the publishers have," said Associate Professor of Government and Social Studies Houchang Chehabi, who teaches the Core course on Iran.

Only three weeks into the semester, Aditi M. Shrikhande '97 is no stranger to Lamont library, where the book is on reserve. "It's a hassle going to the library, but it's really nobody's fault," Shrikhande said.

In some courses, such as Yiddish A, "ElementaryYiddish," the problem is not over-enrollment, butdistribution mix-ups.

"Our teacher received all kinds of assurancesthat our textbook would be in," said James B.Loeffler '96, a student in the class. ButCollege Yiddish has yet to make anappearance in Cambridge. In the interim, studentsare making do with Xeroxed copies as they wait forthe textbook.

"It's kind of a pain," said Shawn C. Celler'97, who was unable to purchase several historybooks until more than two weeks of the semesterhad gone by. "If you take the books out of thelibrary, you can't take notes in them. Thatbecomes a problem when you're reading severalhundred pages at a time.

In some courses, such as Yiddish A, "ElementaryYiddish," the problem is not over-enrollment, butdistribution mix-ups.

"Our teacher received all kinds of assurancesthat our textbook would be in," said James B.Loeffler '96, a student in the class. ButCollege Yiddish has yet to make anappearance in Cambridge. In the interim, studentsare making do with Xeroxed copies as they wait forthe textbook.

"It's kind of a pain," said Shawn C. Celler'97, who was unable to purchase several historybooks until more than two weeks of the semesterhad gone by. "If you take the books out of thelibrary, you can't take notes in them. Thatbecomes a problem when you're reading severalhundred pages at a time.