Textbook publishers should put people before profits

If there’s one thing more emotionally painful than watching someone maim a kitten, it’s… If there’s one thing more emotionally painful than watching someone maim a kitten, it’s buying college textbooks. Every semester, students shell out hundreds of dollars — the average outlay is $898 a year, according to a new study by the California Student Public Interest Research Group.

Most of that money, of course, goes to funding new advances in the fields of statistics and calculus, which change with the breathtaking speed of molasses flowing uphill. That’s why selling back old books nets you only pennies on the dollar: the statistics theories you just learned have already become obsolete. Take that, kitten.

The CALPIRG study confirmed what every college student knew intuitively: we’re getting what Richard Roundtree calls “the Shaft.” Its first finding reads, “Textbooks are Expensive and Getting Even More Expensive.” Revelation!

Why are textbooks getting more expensive? We’ve been doing this printing thing for a few years now. It seems like we’d have most of the bugs worked out, and the prices should reflect that.

CALPIRG’s study places much of the blame on big publishers who bundle extra, seldom-used CD-ROMs and other supplements with their books, driving up the price without adding any value. Since most professors don’t use the supplements, paying for them is like buying a sport utility vehicle when all you need is a station wagon. Students have little choice, as publishers continue to publish “updated” editions every few years. The study also concluded that most new editions, especially in the fields of math and science, contain little new information. Many merely juggle problems and illustrations to justify new editions.

The publishers have what every business wants — a captive market. They can hold a student’s education hostage, because what recourse do students have? Boycott expensive classes? Threaten to walk out if book prices don’t come down?

It’s ironic that, while college has become a virtual necessity to success, it’s become a heavier financial burden. Tuition and fees have increased 14.1 percent in the last year, according to the College Board; 39 percent of college graduates leave with unmanageable levels of debt.

Book prices might seem like a small worry compared to thousands of dollars in student loans, but those dollars add up. Sure, online book searches like addall.com and the soon-to-come SWAPitt can help ease the weight, but that doesn’t change the dynamic of a system that heavily favors publishers. The big textbook publishers’ need to make a profit runs directly counter to the larger need to make education accessible to everyone.

The situation isn’t going to change overnight. Back in August 2001, The Pitt News concluded an editorial, “Every year, we all complain about the prices of books. It’s about time we did something about it.” So far, it seems students have only been able to find small loopholes in the system. We may be able to get books cheaper online or by buying them used, but the price of new textbooks continues to climb. The extra expense still hurts those who have no choice but to buy new books.

There’s a need among textbook publishers and the larger university system to rethink priorities. Profits are indeed a just and wonderful thing, but at a time when most students work their entire college careers in order to graduate with a manageable level of debt, maybe it’s time to look to slightly less tangible ideals — emphasize the much-touted value of a college education instead of the cost.

What’s required is a greater awareness on the parts of both publishers and professors — who, after all, select the books you have to buy — that their choices have real impact upon students. A professor who makes up his own calculus problems and posts them online might save his students a hundred dollars. A publisher who foregoes that unnecessary new edition might help even more.

When the choice comes down to giving up some of your time or profit to help someone further their education, imagine yourself on the other side of the equation. Better yet, imagine it’s your kid whose future you’re affecting.

Jesse Hicks spent $13 on textbooks this semester. The rest of that $449 went to comic books and tattoos. E-mail him at jhicks@pittnews.com.