I know someone who has worked in the bookstore at VSU and I can give you
some of the responses. First of all, the bookstore here is completely self
supporting. Yes, that is true - no student tuition bucks stop there!
Secondly, the large on-line book stores can sell so many more books than
can little stores and that is why they can keep their prices lower since
their money is made by volume of sales. Also, because of the book buy back
programs, book companies now must charge enough for a book to make their
profits in the first year of publication (or, for that matter, the first
semester!). This drives up the original cost of the book, which influences
how much the book store must sell it to make a reasonable profit, which
means that for book buy back, you need to give back the student 1/4 of what
they paid for it and sell at 1/2 the price, which the book companies don't
receive - endless circle there. And how about the faculty who ask for books
to be sent to them for free and then sell them?
That is the reason why small businesses frequently charge more than larger,
more world-wide businesses. Of course, you frequently must sacrifice
service for cost.
BTW, I'm inclined to agree that the books are VERY expensive.
At 03:54 PM 9/9/99 EDT, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>Dave,
>
>I put books on reserve because in my college community (community college)
>there are students who may not be able to afford some of the $100.00+ texts
>they must buy for their classes. Especially when a book is in a new
edition,
>students may not even have an option to buy the used versions. Some
textbook
>companies will not give me copies to put on reserve, because they feel it
>will eat into their profits. I tell my students that they really should buy
>their books, but let them know about the reserve copies anyway. Most
>students in my experience prefer to own their books.
>
>I understand that students may violate copy laws by copying sections,
>however, there are many other rules that we as instructors need to trust
that
>students are not violating. I must trust that they won't do this.
>
>Since I was a graduate student my perception has been that textbooks cost
way
>more than the expenses involved in their production. I felt when I had to
>shell out $40.00 for a 200 page paperback that I was being exploited. 500
>page paperbacks that I bought for leisure reading cost under a sawbuck -
so I
>would ask myself "What gives?" I guess I have lost my sympathy for college
>bookstores and the textbook companies they deal with.
>
>So, I will continue to advise my students of varsitybooks, used book stores,
>and reserve books when available. There is a reason these business arose.
>If college bookstores and textbook companies want to stay competitive,
>perhaps they will need to make their prices competitive too.
>
>Nancy Melucci
>Behavioral and Social Sciences
>El Camino College
>Torrance, CA
>
>
Deb
Deborah S. Briihl There are as many
Dept. of Psychology and Counseling ways to live as
Valdosta State University there are people in
Valdosta, GA 31698-0100 this world and each
[EMAIL PROTECTED] deserve a closer
Now in new Assoc. size! look..
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl
You got so many dreams you don't know where to put them, so you better turn
a few of them loose... Fire
