Additional efforts assist in managing texbook costs
Numerous efforts are already under way to assist students in managing textbook costs. As part of the Textbook Costs Task Force, the university plans to do more to make students aware of these options. They include:
The Library Textbooks Initiatives: The libraries have supported the purchase of many additional copies of textbooks for high enrollment courses, says Ken Frazier, director of the General Library System. During the past four semesters, approximately $10,000 has been spent on these additional textbooks.
Textbooks have been purchased for courses that include American government, biology, calculus, chemistry, chemical analysis, nutrition, food science, geography, human anatomy, microeconomics, Spanish, Italian, genetics, statistics and family studies.
The reserve textbooks are located in many campus libraries including College, Steenbock, CIMC, Biology, Math, Chemistry, Ebling, Business and Wendt. Use of textbooks from a recent semester ran about 30-50 checkouts per copy. Some have a cumulative history of 300-500 checkouts.
In addition, the libraries, the student affairs and the Associated Students of Madison jointly published a brochure for students titled The High Cost of Textbooks: Options and Alternatives for Students. This brochure is designed to help students and their families anticipate textbook costs and suggests ways to obtain books.
The libraries also have a Web page that provides additional tips and resources for students.
Student-driven initiatives include:
The College of Engineering student organization, Polygon, runs a successful "textbook swap" program each semester. The Associated Students of Madison is planning to expand the program, says Jessica Pavlic, ASM academic affairs chair and a member of the task force.
"The book swap essentially takes out the profit generating mechanism of bookstores," says Pavlic, who spent $315 on books this semester. "Students will be able to sell their books back for more than the bookstores and also buy their used books for less than bookstores."
More details will be available this spring.
An example of a grassroots/entrepreneurial program is Exchangehut.com. This is a social networking Web site started by a UW–Madison graduate and his father; it offers a successful "craigslist"-like program for students to sell and purchase used textbooks.
WISPIRG researched the types of textbook programs that can impact students. Results from their initiative on textbook costs can be found online. Included in their work is a link to their national book swap program.