Efforts Made to Lower Textbook Prices
By Lyndsey Mikeal

Wholesale prices of textbooks have risen almost 40 percent in the last five years. Some students can spend as much as $500 on textbooks in one semester.

In an effort to bring textbook costs down, UNC student congress member Caroline Spencer helped pass a resolution that encourages professors to keep the same edition of a book for at least three years before switching to a new one.

“It's not really binding, it’s just saying that they wait three years when possible,” Spencer said. Spencer is a sophomore member of Student Congress and also the chairwoman of the textbook committee.

Student Stores is also joining in the effort to bring costs down.

John Jones, director of campus merchandising, says higher textbook costs are also caused by "bundling." Bundling is when textbooks are packaged with extras, such as workbooks and CDs. Bundles cost students more because the publisher uses a new textbook in the bundle, even if a used version is available.

“Were not a fan of bundles, almost no one is a fan of bundles,” Jones says.

One bundled textbook available at Student Stores costs more than $250. The anatomy text is wrapped with a lab workbook and CD.

Jones says students are getting fed up with the high prices.

“Students are going elsewhere, where they can purchase those used books. They’re going off campus; they’re going on the web,” he says.

But are the bundles even needed? Spencer says bundles not only add extra cost, but students don’t even use the extra materials.

“The grammar book we’ve all had for English 11 came with a CD -- I’ve had numerous ones with CDs, and I’ve never used them,” Spencer says.

She says that with the help of faculty, textbook prices can come down, and the supply of used textbooks will go up. With more used books on the shelves, and more money in their pockets, students will have extra change to spend on that much needed cup of caffeine at exam time.