This blog is the last of the three-part blog series on why textbooks are so expensive. Hopefully CampusBooks.com has been able to clue you in to different perspectives on the textbook debate that you may not have otherwise considered.
From the Bookstores’ Standpoint:
According to the National Association of College Stores (NACS), only 22.4 cents of every textbook dollar actually goes to the bookstore. Of those 22.4 cents, only 4.4 cents (pre-tax) are actually profit. The rest of the 22.4 cents goes to pay overhead costs and employee wages.
Many students have expressed frustration with the college bookstores because they see online retailers who sell the international versions of their books for much lower prices than the college bookstore. Because of this, they assume that the bookstore is overcharging them in order to make higher profits. According to the NACS however, it is the publisher’s decision to sell books at such a low rate internationally. The NACS supports a “one-price†policy that would ensure that U.S. students don’t have to pay more than their international counterparts. NACS’s official stance is that “U.S. students should not, by themselves, bear the sole burden of course material development costs or suffer the consequences of underdeveloped countries’ inability or unwillingness to enforce copyright laws.â€
We hope the three viewpoints we’ve presented to you, from the author, publisher, and bookstore, have given you more insight to the textbook industry so understand where your textbook dollar goes. No matter who you believe, rest assured that CampusBooks is always working hard to give you the easiest way to find and buy cheap textbooks.
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Source:
NACS, “FAQ on College Textbooks.” JUNE 2007. National Association of College Stores. 8 Aug 2007. http://www.nacs.org/common/research/faq_textbooks.pdf
NACS, “FAQ on College Textbooks.” JUNE 2007. National Association of College Stores. 8 Aug 2007. http://www.nacs.org/common/research/textbook$.pdf
