Textbooks: GAO report says textbooks prices have increased 6 percent
Continued from page IB
at the request of Congressman David
Wu last year, which states that the
price of textbooks is “skyrocketing.”
In the past, textbook price increas
es were blamed on inflation. Howev
er, the GAO report, which confirms
previous research by nation-wide stu
dent Public Interest Research Groups
(student PIRGs) found that textbook
prices have risen at double the rate of
annual inflation since the mid 1980s.
While the overall price inflation rose
3 percent annually, textbook prices
rose an average of 6 percent.
According to the GAO report, rea
sons for the increase include the pub
lishers’ response to meet the de
mands of instructors on “bundling”
CD-ROMs and workbooks with text
books, increased investment by pub
lishers in making these accommoda
tions, and unnecessary new editions
each year.
“Publishers say they have in
creased investments in developing
supplements in response to demand
from instructors. Wholesalers, retails,
and others expressed concern that
the proliferation of supplements and
more frequent revisions might unnec
essarily increase costs to students,”
the report states.
University President Dave Frohn
mayer is familiar with the burden of
paying for textbooks, but he said that
because the University is not in an
adversary position with the Universi
ty Bookstore, “the real issue is with
Life is f.
ar more
Seauttful and
dangerous tkan
/
you ve keen to
Id...
020164
Curious?
Wednesdays
Burke-Griffith Hall
12th Sc Kincaid
7:30 pm
textbook producers, ”
“Everybody is looking for areas of
discretionary spending because the
cost of college in general is rising,”
Frohnmayer said. He added that
professors have the ability to require
used books, because new editions
are not always necessary, but for
students, he recommended taking
advantage of books on reserve at
the library.
“Penny-pinching students can
find ways to avoid (high prices),
and more library time” is one of
them, he said.
But for students who enjoy mark
ing up their pages or who lack the ex
tra hours needed to take notes from
books on reserve, purchasing online
may be a solutions.
The bookstore does provide ad
vice in pamphlets and brochures for
saving money, such as “Textbooks
101,” which explains that “the UO
Bookstore is listening” to student
needs about costs, long lines and
other hassles.
The tips provided in this and other
brochures do not include purchasing
textbooks online.
(( f! TnitrAtiAilir rvrrtp
short window of opportunity when
students return for school. They
have a limited number of weeks to
make their money,” said Richard
Davies, public relations managQr for
abebooks.com.
“The results of the GAO report did
n’t surprise us; it confirmed previous
reports,” Davies said.
He said the online market offers
low prices on nearly every subject.
“I think students are fairly wise to
that, but some students haven’t been
around long enough to know. I feel
quite sorry for the freshmen, actual
ly,” Davies added.
While the University Bookstore ad
vises against going online for text
books, the GAO report and all previ
ous student PIRG reports highly
recommend using the online market
place. And because the University
has no plan to combat these higher
than-necessary prices because stu
dents going online for textbooks has
yet to impact bookstore sales, accord
ing to Frohnmayer, the ball remains
in the student’s court in terms of
making textbooks affordable.
The Emerald researched the differ
ence in cost between buying books
online and at the bookstore at stu
dent prices, which are discounted 10
percent for new books and 32 percent
for used books.
Students taking History 101 this fall
are required to purchase the new edi
tion of “Discovering the Western
Past.” It will cost $24.19 at abe
books.com, which includes shipping,
whereas the campus bookstore
charges $44.75, which already in
cludes the 10 percent discount. If stu
dents purchase this book used at the
bookstore with the 32 percent dis
count, they will still save an addition
al 28 percent by going online.
For Chemistry 111 fall term a new
edition of “Chemistry for Changing
Times” is required. The books costs
$66.75 online versus $98.75, includ
ing the 10 percent student discount,
at the bookstore for the same edition.
Nonetheless, the bookstore’s tips,
whether or not they actually save
money, do come in handy. One sug
gests going to class early to make
sure students buy the books that pro
fessors put on their syllabus.
“Sometimes profs change
their minds after telling the book
store to order the books,” one
brochure states.
The second and third savings rec
ommendations are to understand the
return policy before you buy and
save your sales receipt. Steps four
and five advise students to keep
books in pristine condition to ensure
a full refund if returned and buy used
textbooks when available.
The back flap of one brochure
warns against online purchasing, a
money-saving tip recommended by
student PIRGs, because students
could purchase the wrong edition,
not get the book in time for class, pay
more in shipping, be taxed heavily,
get scammed by publishers that
“promise huge discounts” and have
no options to return the book.
Many of these warnings no longer
apply for most online suppliers be
cause of increased competition in the
online market. As bookstore prices
climb, more students are steering
away from the campus bookstore.
Thinking a week ahead yields an av
o 'XTMjn rtc n f AH
The California Student PIRG
found, and the GAO report officially
confirmed, that more than 50 percent
of professors do not use additional
materials, so if “bundled” materials
are not included online — they usu
ally are — students need not worry.
As far as buy-backs, if students
do not make it during the three
week period after every term, when
the bookstore pays 20 to 60 percent
of a book’s value, they will receive
0 to 20 percent the value of their
original purchases. Also, shrink
wrapped texts with CD-ROMs and
workbooks will not be accepted
without the CD or if the workbook
has been written in.
Smith Family Bookstore on East
13 th Avenue buys back books at the
same exchange rate as the book
store 10 months out of the year, and,
unlike the University bookstore, it
accepts books not purchased from
their store.
To get involved in the books-price
war, contact OSPIRG at 346-4377 or
visit Suite 1 in the EMU.
nwilbur@dailyemerald.com
ONLINE TEXTBOOK
RETAILERS
www.abebooks.com
textbookscene.com
www.amazon.com
comegetused.com
www.campusbookswap.com
swapyourtextbooks.com
Safe, Free Rides At Night