CHAPARRAL

Faculty CAN Help Reduce the Cost of Textbooks
by Mona Field, Social Sciences Division

Chaparral offers some ideas based on information from the California Public Interest Research Group.

Some of these tips are more relevant than others to Glendale College.  Please consider which ones make sense for you to implement.

From CalPIRG:
Tips to identify cheaper textbooks without sacrificing academic content
 

The number one consideration for faculty when selecting course material should be the academic content.  However, in some cases textbook costs can be prohibitive, causing students to make sacrifices in their educational experience because they can’t afford their books.  Necessary academic content and cheaper textbooks are not mutually exclusive.  Professors can play a role in reducing textbook costs, so we’ve developed a set of tips to make textbooks as affordable as possible.
 
When speaking with publishing sales representatives:

• Inform sales representatives that cost is an important consideration. Always demand complete pricing information for all books being considered.

• Negotiate the price.  Often, sales representatives are authorized to reduce the price of a textbook if you ask them to.

• Ask if a cheaper black & white version exists.  If not, ask them to produce one for your class.

• When possible, commit to using a book for two or more years.  If the sales representative tells you that a new edition is imminent, tell the representative that you will look for another option unless the publisher can guarantee production of the current edition for the period of time you deem most appropriate.

• Choose unbundled textbooks over bundles unless the ancillary items are absolutely necessary for class.

• Be careful when considering customized versions.  A student who buys a book for $100 and sells it for $50 spends less than one who buys a customized book for $60 but is unable to sell it.  Of course, if the customized book will be used by the whole department, or adopted for several semesters, the used market might remain viable.

• Whenever possible, work with colleagues to adopt the same book for the longest period of time, and use collective bargaining to get the best possible price.
   

When working with the bookstore:

• Get book orders in as early as possible, so bookstores can be more aggressive in buying used copies and take advantage of slower but cheaper shipping options.

 

Give your students the tools to be more textbook-savvy:

• Give students the ISBN number of the textbook in the syllabus so they don’t inadvertently buy the wrong book if they choose to buy online.

• Let students know if they are allowed to use previous editions of the book and supply them with the ISBN number of those older versions.

• Inform students that they might be eligible for book grants or financial aid to help with the cost of their books.

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