Three weeks to the start of the 2015/2016 school year, thousands of second-hand textbooks are on display for exchange in major streets of the capital city.

Second-hand dealers receive stocks of textbooks for trade from parents and students on daily basis.

The used books displayed on shelves or plastic bags are sometimes carried in bags to sell to passers-by and in private homes.

At the Obili neighbourhood in Yaounde, the phenomenon of second-hand books is very common. Parents and students come alone with textbooks of the previous class and request for that of the next class. Ngoh Chrysantus; a second hand dealer says, “When a customer brings a book for exchange, we assess the price of that book based on its state of disrepair, for us to know the amount of money he/she can add to get a new book”.

Primary and secondary books are the most commonly seen in Second-hand bookstores during the back to school period.

While in libraries, prices are fixed, in bookstands, bargaining is the rule and bookstands remain the best bet for low-income earners to possess textbooks at an affordable price.