Why your textbook prices have skyrocketed

Everyone knows the cost of textbooks is high. The price for textbooks in Canada between 1998 and 2007 has increased at 2.8 times the CPI. The CPI is the consumer price index, the rate at which items should increase in price in the market over time.

Many publishing companies come out with frequent new editions of each textbook. In the past, there may have only been a new edition every seven or eight years. Now, we can expect a new edition every three years. If you are trying to buy a used edition for your class, make sure it is still okay to use with the professor first. There are also other components and features of the textbook which may make it obsolete to buy the used or previous edition. The phenomenon of bundling is becoming more common. This is when publishers pack CDs or other online access codes with the textbook. These CDs or access codes may expire after a year. Also check with your professors to see if they will be using the extra components for their class. If not, you may not need to buy these costly features.

Many students and instructors are asking why new editions and price increases happen for books with little changes in curriculum, especially for example calculus and physics. This is a common problem, which the publishing industry tries to explain through a need for new end-of-chapter questions for and adapting the curriculum examples to current events and pop culture.

Another issue is who the textbooks are marketed to. The market is the professors, but students are the ones who have to pay. Each publisher rigorously tries to sell their books to professors via local sales reps. Often the professors are not told of the cost of the book, or continue to use a book year after year, even though there are recent and expensive new editions. The publishers make it difficult for the professors and bookstores to continue to use the old editions because of supply issues.

All of these things are making used textbooks obsolete, driving up the costs for students, who are the end user of the book. The data showing the rising costs of textbooks is supported by many PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups) in the US and a number of Canadian university bookstores. Get to know the issues and get involved. Write your local politicians and talk to your professors about the issues.