Cost of education: Textbook prices debated

Karen C. Tully Arizona Daily Wildcat Chuck Hallock (right) and Virginia Philips, employees at the UA Associated Students Bookstore, prepare books to be returned to a distributor. Many students have been complaining about the prices of textbooks.

"Book prices are way too high and they just keep going up and up," said Scott Rose, a psychology senior. "I am finishing my fifth year and it seems like I spend $100 more a semester for books."

Frank Farias, director of the University of Arizona's official bookstore, explained that the bookstore prices textbooks at a rate that will enable it to function free of debt.

Farias said the cost of textbooks is a controversial issue among college bookstores and publishers. He said the National Association of College Stores is seeking litigation against several publishers to resolve the dual pricing system, which sets prices higher for textbooks than for books intended for leisure.

Farias explained that textbook prices are high because publishers use the dual pricing system.

While Farias claims that the UA Bookstore sets prices about 20 percent above its costs, students complain that textbook prices are still too high.

Michael Thomas, an education senior, said, "I would assume the bookstore is setting the prices, I have heard rumors that they have turned a substantial profit."

Many bookstores around the University of Arizona community cater to the needs of students who are looking for textbook bargains. However, students cannot take advantage of lower prices unless their instructors send textbook orders to a non-university bookstore.

Lisa Allspach, communication doctoral candidate and graduate teaching assistant, decided not to order her pre-session textbooks for her Communication 417 from the UA Bookstore.

Allspach said the publisher of The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication told her the book could be purchased for $36 if five or more copies were purchased. She said the publisher also granted a further discount to the UA Bookstore.

However, Allspach said the UA Bookstore was planning to sell the book for about $46, depending on publisher discounts and the cost of shipping and handling.

Allspach decided to give the textbook order to an off-campus bookstore, Antigone Books at 600 N. Fourth Ave., because she felt the UA Bookstore's proposed mark-up was unfair.

"I'd like to know where all the money is going (from textbook sales)," Allspach said. "It's rape. It's textbook rape."

"They are becoming very profitable at the students expense," she said.

She said Antigone Books agreed to sell the text to her students for $36.00, the pre-discount price of the book.

Farias denied that the UA Bookstore engages in price gouging.

"We are not driven by profit like off-campus bookstores," Farias said. "We are driven by a mission to serve faculty, students and staff."

Farias also said any profits the bookstore does make go back to the university through the Associated Students' budget or other campus programs.

He said all textbook orders must be given to the UA Bookstore and then those lists can be obtained by other bookstores.

"We have to make every book available to the students," Farias said.

Farias said he thinks many off-campus bookstores tend to price books higher than the UA Bookstore.

But Trudy Mills, co-owner and manager of Antigone Books said Antigone does not usually set prices above the suggested retail price.

"We've always felt students pay enough," Mills said. "To raise the price more than the suggested price feels a little uncomfortable."

Mills said she deals in textbooks to provide a service to students and gain exposure for the store.

"It's a way to acquaint people with the store, it's an intellectual benefit to the students," she said.

Julia Balen, associate director of women's studies, said her department had been sending textbook orders almost exclusively to Antigone because it is a feminist bookstore.

Balen said Antigone has provided better service than the larger UA Bookstore.

"Orders (at the UA Bookstore) for fall needed to be in last March. We barely know what classes are running at that time, let alone what books are going to be used," Balen said.

However, Balen said the UA Bookstore has been working on improving its service. She said the UA administration recently asked her department to order textbooks primarily through the UA bookstore.

The UA sets no regulations on which bookstores textbook orders must be ordered from, said a representative in the office of Susan Steele, associate vice provost for undergraduate education.