Computer Science Department
A Web-based DePauw Student Textbook Exchange
Tyler Orabone
DePauwBookExchange.com project, based off of, among other sites, the DePauw created Booksnag.com website, is an attempt to eliminate the middle means of exchange (locally, Fine Print and the DePauw bookstore) in buying and selling used textbooks. Due to the duopoly situation created in Greencastle, IN, I saw a chance to eliminate the economic loss suffered by students who buy textbooks at high prices and sell at absurdly low prices. This web-based database involves creating several data-driven web pages connected to a database for users to create unique usernames and passwords. These profiles would allow users to enter into the database both the textbooks they own as well as the textbooks they would wish to purchase. They would then be able to search a database of available books, uploaded by other users, for their own needs as well as have the ability to exchange books with one another for free. Using my knowledge obtained from my Computer Science classes at DePauw, the pages and the database will be created from scratch. The database will serve as a means of storing all currently available and requested books as well as track use of the website, to be used by the site administrator through their own unique and secure page.