The crime of copying

Policy prohibits photos at the bookstore; library allows photocopies with some limitations

VANESSA GONZALEZ

Students are prohibited from taking pictures or making copies of textbooks that have not been purchased, according to a Pierce College Student Store policy. However, students can take pictures and make copies of textbooks in the library with some limitations.

According to Assistant Bookstore Manager Candy Van, students who attempt to take a photo of an unpurchased textbook will be given a warning. If they are caught taking a photo of an access code, they will be forced to purchase the textbook. “We told the sheriff that this is a place where a lot of people hang out. This is a place where we deal with all these transactions so we want them to be present,” Van said. “We don’t want to embarrass students.”

“Our goal is to help them be successful, but we don’t want them to do it so crookedly,” Van said. “We’re not trying to accuse anyone until we actually see the whole thing.”

Holly Hagan, bookstore employee, said she first saw people taking pictures of the textbooks five years ago and it has become a common occurrence since then.

“Although this is only a problem during the first few weeks of school, it does happen a lot,” Hagan said.

According to Hagan, when a student is caught taking pictures in the student store they are asked to delete them. If the student refuses, the sheriff is called to the scene to make sure that the pictures have been deleted. Students are allowed to take pictures of the covers of the textbooks with permission, but other than that, it is considered breaking the law.