The spring semester is in its fourth week, but some students may still be waiting for their textbooks to come from amazon.com. Rising textbook prices have increasingly pushed students toward the library and online used-book sources, away from the campus bookstore.
According to The Washington Post, textbook prices have been rising at twice the inflation rate for the past two decades. During the 2003 academic year, university students spent an average of $900 on books and supplies. Because of these prices, nearly 60 percent of students nationwide choose not to buy all materials required for their classes.
Professor Jack Child of Language and Foreign Studies, blames high textbook costs partially on the publication of new editions, making old editions obsolete and unable to sell. Although, the campus bookstore will not buy back old editions of textbooks, leaving students with a book that was once expensive and now worthless.
"I have complained to publishers and refuse to use books that are especially flagrant abusers," Child said.
Some find the campus bookstore to be another culprit. Follett Corporation, which owns the campus bookstore, "prides themselves in stocking used books and offering generous buybacks of used books," according to Follet spokesperson Cliff Ewert.
If a textbook is reused by a professor the next time he or she teaches a class, the bookstore will buy it back from the student at 50 percent of the original price. If it isn't readopted, students can expect anywhere from
10 to 30 percent. Course packet sales are
final.
"I have also challenged the bookstore on the cost of course packets since they tend to raise the price with no real justification," Child said. "If you present them with a
good argument, they sometimes reduce the
cost."
Some students who agree with Child have sought other sources to purchase their course materials. Erin O'Sullivan, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, compared the prices of her textbooks online, often at lower prices. The delayed delivery is worth it, she said.
"Honestly, to me, it's worth it to skip two weeks of reading and to do catch-up when it finally comes and to save $30," she said.
Given the universally high costs of books, however, some students choose to simply go without. Lia Comerford, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, has yet to buy one of her required textbooks, the used price of which is over $50.
"I'm going to buy the book when I have the money, hopefully sometime next week," she said. "I'm getting by alright. Sometimes I can borrow the book from a friend, but I've missed several of the readings."
A student will be more likely to accept the cost of a book if they feel as though they need it to understand the course material.
"Generally students buy books in math or engineering classes because they feel like they can't get through the course without it," Ewert said. "For a humanities class, a student might loan or borrow the book."
Assigning only the necessary books is just one of many ways professors can alleviate the cost of textbooks for students, Child said. He said he also encourages students to buy books directly from one another instead of going through a third party. Child puts all of the textbooks for his classes on reserve in the library and uses articles posted on Blackboard instead of pricy textbooks.
"The major text for my principal course is one I wrote myself and provide as a course packet," he said. "I charge no royalties, ask for no desk copies and use the cheapest option."
Faculty should check the cost of books before assigning them and cut back on expensive books in order to lighten what has become a heavy financial burden for students, Child said.
"The textbook pricing scheme is the biggest racket, and it takes advantage of students that have little funds and little alternatives," said Ronnie Jones, a sophomore in the School of International Service.
