CalPIRG and OSPIRG surveyed students and faculty and with the help of the State PIRGs, the group which oversees each state's PIRG organization, prepared a report of the data. They are also reaching out to math professors to address the frequent release of new math text editions.
CalPIRG and OSPIRG conducted a survey of students and professors at their public universities regarding textbook prices and used-text availability. The data indicated that professors do not usually utilize additional text materials in their courses and that minor changes make "the less expensive, used textbooks obsolete and unavailable," according to the State PIRG report.
According to the report, students in the University of California system spent an average of $897.88 on books for the 2003-04 academic year. Furthermore, 59 percent of students looking for one or more used books failed to find any.
Some students and professors indicated on the survey that a book-swap program would help solve the problem of a lack of used books. At the College, the psychology department has such a program.
"The [psychology department] book exchange was started to help students buy used copies of books used in our courses and thus pay lower prices," explained Professor of Psychology Buffy Aries, chair of the department. "It also enables our students to sell books they no longer want. Since we have so many majors ... and other students taking psych courses, it seemed there would be enough students interested in both buying and selling."
Luke Swarthout '04, chair of the MassPIRG student board, explained that at colleges and universities nation wide, there are often not enough used texts for all students who want to purchase used books.
"A noticeable problem is that there never are enough used textbooks to fill the need for students at the beginning of each semester [as a result of professors often requiring the new edition]," explained Swarthout. "Publishing companies … say they [create so many new editions] because faculty want it. The survey said, really, that's not the case."
According to the State PIRG report, most faculty do not use the additional materials that are often come with new editions. Eleven percent use CD-roms or workbooks half the time, while 65 percent rarely or never use the materials.
In the survey, faculty also indicated that new textbook editions are often unnecessary. According to the report, 36 percent believe the new editions are justified half the time, while 40 percent believe the new books are rarely, if ever, justified.
Swarthout said that when publishers release a new book, faculty members have no choice but to use it. "The real problem is that because faculty want to guarantee that all of their students have the opportunity to buy the book, they are at the mercy of the publishers," he said. "If publishers produce a new book, [faculty] can't guarantee a large enough used book selection [and then must require students to purchase the newer, more expensive version]."
David Schaich '06, one of the students involved with the textbook campaign at the College, believes there are a number of things publishing companies can do to avoid such high textbook costs.
"Publishers can wait longer before issuing new editions, can end the practice of 'bundling' texts with CDs and workbooks that are often unused and can offer cheaper versions of the texts-paperback or electronic versions, texts printed in black and white without fancy graphics-for students to purchase if they wish," he said.
The State PIRGs decided to focus on calculus texts, since the subject material has not changed in a number of years. In particular, the organization targeted an introductory calculus textbook published by Thompson Learning. According to the State PIRG report, calculus professors who use the book say there are few significant changes from one edition to the next.
"We wanted to target one of the major publishing companies which is an egregious example of this type of behavior in publishing that really is driving up the cost [of books] … things like producing multiple editions with [few] substantial content changes thereby undermining the market for used textbooks as well as combining those textbooks with workbooks and CD-roms that are often unused and drive up the costs for students," Swarthout explained.
Members of the MassPIRG chapter at the College are working with CalPIRG and OSPIRG to encourage Thompson Learning to stop publishing new editions of texts so frequently. "In our experience at Amherst … there are a lot of professors who clearly, in response to … increasing costs, don't mandate the book, allow students to use multiple editions and offer the page numbers, but for many professors, that's a significant trouble … so it winds up really forcing students to pay more for their textbooks every semester as the costs [of books] go up," said Swarthout.
Schaich believes that student action is the first step in the process of changing publishing companies' policies. "Students can not only pressure the textbook publishers to take these steps, but can also develop the used book market and other cost-reduction programs," he said.