State tries to blow the cover off textbook prices

Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) - August 17, 2007

by Katie Stapleton-Paff

Staff Writer

When college students filter back to campus in coming weeks, they may find they've gained some ground in the perennial battle to make textbooks more affordable.

A pair of new state laws requires major textbook publishers to volunteer full retail pricing information to professors when pitching their products, and also requires campus bookstores to promote used-book buyback programs and offer students the option of declining companion materials such as CDs and workbooks. The latest of the laws went into effect July 22.

However, opinion is mixed as to whether or not the legislation will actually make a significant dent in the textbook burden, which a student lobbying group estimates at an average of $900 per year.

Seattle University's bookstore manager calls the new laws "feel-good legislation," and others say the main figure in determining the cost hasn't changed -- the professor who assigns the books.

Nevertheless, some student lobbyists say the new laws represent a victory, and with continued vigilance will push costs down over time.

"It's a great first step," said Nicole Allen, the University of Washington campus organizer with the public interest group WashPIRG, "but reducing the cost of textbooks will take time."

Allen said the group will keep pushing to make textbooks more affordable.

"This fall we're going to work on making sure professors know about the law, which will be an easy way to enforce it," she said. "We're going to remind them they're entitled to pricing information, and if they don't get that from publishers they can report it. We would hope the publishing industry would realize they should follow the law."

UW junior Heather Alpers said she feels the bill will serve as a catalyst, bringing a greater sense of cost awareness among faculty and the student body.

"I think it can make an impact," Alpers said. "It certainly has the potential to, but from my viewpoint, it'll create awareness among students, professors and those in our community. It will take time, and enforcement is essential. It's easy to pass legislation, but a lot harder to enforce it."

Alpers testified before the House of Representatives earlier this year in Olympia, sharing her personal struggle to afford textbooks after her financial aid had all gone toward tuition and dorm fees. She had been awarded a combination of federal Pell Grants and student loans.

"My mom makes less than $24,000 per year, and my textbook costs are definitely upward of $900 per year," she said in a later interview. "Even after I use up all of my aid, I'm still short about $2,000 for housing, let alone books. The most important effect this bill will have is to spread awareness among faculty of what students go through. We're not all spoiled freeloaders, living off Mommy and Daddy."

While many students feel their professors are blind to the hefty price tag of textbooks, some faculty members insist they are aware of the financial burden to students and take steps to alleviate it.

UW organic chemistry Professor Glenn Bartholomew said his department can foster price competition among publishers.

"In our department, the competition is pretty fierce between publishers," Bartholomew said. "We do make them aware of the financial strain on students, and they tend to compete in terms of price."

Bartholomew added that he tries to avoid bundled materials, and chooses books that students can easily buy used.

"The three-year revision cycle is pretty standard," he said. "We base our decision of which textbook to universally adopt based on where it is in the cycle. We never choose a book that's about to become obsolete. I don't feel new editions are particularly useful -- the text in chemistry books doesn't actually change that much, and if people attend class and do their homework, they're usually going to do well."

UW math Professor Sara Billey also said she is sympathetic toward student purse strings.

"I think faculty members are very aware of the cost of textbooks," Billey said. "The bill sounds good, but ... there's a long way to go."

Bundling -- or adding extra materials such as CDs and workbooks -- is a practice for which the publishing industry has taken a lot of heat. Opponents feel these extras are unnecessary frills that stifle the used book market and drive up the cost of books.

The publishing industry disagrees, however, saying that bundled materials are useful tools that serve to bring college students up to higher educational standards.

"Bundling only happens after a discussion with faculty members," said Stacy Skelly, a spokeswoman for the Association of American Publishers. "We're talking about students' needs for success. Unfortunately, many independent studies have shown that only about 21 percent of college freshmen are adequately prepared for school, and these 'bells and whistles' are helping them catch up."

Skelly said she is unsure as to the impact of the Washington state legislation on textbook publishers, but emphasized industry support for price transparency.

"I think there's been a lot of misinformation about what publishers do and don't do," Skelly said. "We do support transparency, and if a faculty member doesn't ask for price information, it's always there for them at a later date. Regarding this legislation, I think only time will tell."

Bookstore managers have conflicting views on the legislation's potential for cutting book prices.

"The current legislation will have no impact on price," said Bob Spencer, manager of the Seattle University Bookstore. "It is 'feel-good' legislation. If students want cheaper texts, they should buy and sell used books -- and that's the bottom line."

One major flaw in the legislation, Spencer said, is a lack of enforcement capability.

"It's a voluntary process, and there's nothing there to enforce," he said. "They failed to get at the heart of the matter. Without question, the biggest way for students to save is by buying a used book ... If all the money and energy and effort that they put into that legislation was put into supporting the used book industry, students would be a lot better off."

On the other hand, UW's University Bookstore CEO Bryan Pearce was a little more optimistic.

"I do believe the benefit of this legislative activity all centers on the decisions that affect student finances," Pearce said. "All of this attention has raised awareness, and ... personally, I believe that awareness from the perspective of the faculty is where the benefit comes in."

An independently owned corporate trust, University Bookstore is run by a board of trustees that includes UW faculty, staff and students. The store offers a popular buyback program, which enables students to sell their used books back for 50 percent of the new-book price. The store also provides a 10 percent annual rebate for students who save their receipts.

Pearce said the effects of the first round of legislation in 2006 have already been felt, as evidenced by sharp increase in the store's used-book sales.

"This last year was the first time in about five years that we saw a significant increase in used-book sales," Pearce said. "It may or may not be directly related to the legislation, but the fact is that every time a faculty member makes a decision that opens up the used-book market, it has a tangible effect on students. It's going to encourage faculty members to ask questions they might not have in the past."

Contact: kstapleton-paff@bizjournals.com • 206-447-8505x104