2008 Woodie Awards
Hey Publishers: Leave Them Kids Alone
New bills in Sacramento may lighten the financial load on students.
Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: Opinion
There are two bills currently awaiting approval from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Both are geared towards cutting the cost of textbooks for instructors and students, though in roundabout ways.
The College Textbook Affordability Act, SB832, was written by state Senator Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) and is supported by the California Public Interest Research Group, known for their criticism of publishing companies and their business practices.
SB832 would require that faculty be given a price list of books separated by category and how long the publishers would deem them relevant and keep them available. They would also be required to provide an online and printed list of major changes that will be included in newer editions, giving professors a chance to decide whether or not their students can continue to use an older edition of a textbook. With this action, instructors will be able to make informed decisions about which books they require and consider the financial situations as well.
The bill would be a good first step towards saving students money. As most students know, textbooks are replaced with newer editions as often as every year, which makes it difficult for them to sell their books to other students or back to the school.
The College Textbook Transparency Act, AB1548, is similar to Corbett's proposal, but would require more detail and make it more accessible. Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Santa Ana) wrote the bill, which would require publishers to compile a summary of the changes made between one edition and the next. This bill, like SB832, will require that publishers make available to faculty a list of prices and edition changes, but posting them online would be optional.
One of the major differences between the two bills is that the Transparency Act mandates that public university campus bookstores make available their retail pricing policies, how much they charge students compared to how much the bookstores purchase them for. AB1548 would also prohibit instructors or bookstores from receiving any kind of monetary incentive for purchasing a certain book, whether it is in the form of discounts or rewards.
The College Textbook Affordability Act, SB832, was written by state Senator Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) and is supported by the California Public Interest Research Group, known for their criticism of publishing companies and their business practices.
SB832 would require that faculty be given a price list of books separated by category and how long the publishers would deem them relevant and keep them available. They would also be required to provide an online and printed list of major changes that will be included in newer editions, giving professors a chance to decide whether or not their students can continue to use an older edition of a textbook. With this action, instructors will be able to make informed decisions about which books they require and consider the financial situations as well.
The bill would be a good first step towards saving students money. As most students know, textbooks are replaced with newer editions as often as every year, which makes it difficult for them to sell their books to other students or back to the school.
The College Textbook Transparency Act, AB1548, is similar to Corbett's proposal, but would require more detail and make it more accessible. Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Santa Ana) wrote the bill, which would require publishers to compile a summary of the changes made between one edition and the next. This bill, like SB832, will require that publishers make available to faculty a list of prices and edition changes, but posting them online would be optional.
One of the major differences between the two bills is that the Transparency Act mandates that public university campus bookstores make available their retail pricing policies, how much they charge students compared to how much the bookstores purchase them for. AB1548 would also prohibit instructors or bookstores from receiving any kind of monetary incentive for purchasing a certain book, whether it is in the form of discounts or rewards.
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Prof Westfall
posted 10/03/07 @ 8:02 PM PST
From the perspective of a university faculty member who makes decisions for his classes and who has written chapters for textbooks, much of what your article says about the textbook business is true. (Continued…)
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