Changing texts often reason
for frustrating buy-back prices
By Tony Hazarlan
Of Hi* Emerald
Selling textbooks at the end of
a term has been more disillu
sioning than profitable.
“Worth a dollar,” the man
behind the counter says, toss
ing the book into a box on the
floor and placing a crisp $1 biil
in the student's open hand
“But I paid $11.50 for it," the
student says in disbelief. "It was
new.”
This student's disbelief,
though ficticious, is perhaps
typical. But Otto Henrickson,
University bookstore textbook
manager, explains why text
books change.
Even though it's the middle of
summer term, professors are
ordering texts for the fall.
And, as usual, many profes
sors are changing required
textbooks, Henrickson says.
The bookstore does not in
fluence or control which text
books are ordered, Henrickson
says. Textbooks are often
changed because course
material changes with time and
needs revision, he adds.
"I can see where they want
the latest edition and the newest
books."
“Political science for in
stance.” Henrickson says.
“They need to be updated day
by day."
"If it's a year old, they don't
use it” because it may have little
relevance to the course, Hen
drickson adds.
Political science professor
Jerry Medler says he looks for a
book “that will reflect an up-to
date approach" for the par
ticular course he’s teaching.
Medler says he has never
found a book that would change
the direction of the course by
itself. For instance, he has used
the same text for the past three
years in Mass Media and Amer
ican Politics, but will not use it
again this year.
"Whenever a new book
comes along that fits" the
course better than the text used
before, Medler will use it as
required reading.
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The textbook turnover in the
sciences and social sciences is
high, Hendrickson says. More
books are written in these areas
and provide a constant flow of
updated information and revi
sion, he adds.
On the other hand, some
courses don’t change text ma
terial very often, Hendrickson
says. Accounting and other
business courses tend to
“be rather good at not chang
ing" titles, he says.
English and literature courses
also produce little change in
textbook titles, Henrickson
says. Some of the same litera
ture books have circulated
around the University from class
to class and instructor to
instructor for seven years, he
adds.
“A Shakespeare book is a
Shakespeare book," he
remarks
If the textbook will be used the
following term, the student will
receive 50 percent of the pur
chase price when selling it back
to the bookstore, Henrickson
says.
If the book will not be used in
any class, the bookstore will buy
the student's text but sell it to a
firm that deals in used text
books. The price the student
receives is based on the
demand for the particular text
book. he adds.
"If (the textbook firms') ware
houses are full with a given
title, they'll give less,” Henrick
son says.
When a book goes out-of
print or a new edition replaces
it, the book is "obsolete,’’ Hen
rickson says. The bookstore
cannot resell the book for in
struction purposes and will not
buy back the book.
CASH
For Textbooks
Mon -Fri
, Smith Family
Bookstore
768 E 13th
1 Bl From Campus
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