Textbooks are expensive.  We know.

According to the General Accounting Office, textbook prices are increasing at more than four times the inflation rate for all finished goods.

Wholesale prices charged by textbook publishers have jumped 62% since 1994, while prices charged for all finished goods increased only 14%.

Publishers are increasingly aggressive in combating the used book market, for which they and the author receive no money.

New editions, bundles, customized books and financial contributions to departments are often used as publisher strategies designed to increase the profit of publishers at the expense of our students. According to the General Accounting Office, bundling has been identified as the leading cause of driving up prices on textbooks.  Bundling has been identified as a publisher strategy for reducing the used textbook market.  Half of all textbooks on the MU campus now come “bundled,” or shrink-wrapped with additional instructional materials such as CD-ROMs and workbooks. Students rarely have the option of buying the textbook “a la carte” or without additional materials. Bundling limits or prevents opportunities for students to sell back their books or to purchase used textbooks.

Bookstores don’t have much control over textbook pricing.  We order what

faculty select because the material is going to help you succeed in class.  Take a look at this table to how we price books:

The University Bookstore is here to find the lowest cost solutions for our students.  When you consider the used book option and buyback, University Bookstore is competitively priced.  Last year, Mizzou students saved 4.6 million dollars due to the availability of used books at University Bookstore!

• Encourage faculty to submit on-time book orders.  On-time faculty orders are the most significant and immediate way that we can reduce cost to students.  On-time orders result in more opportunities for used books and returns more money to our students at buyback.
• Encourage faculty to use in-house custom publishing (Mizzou Media).  This reduces the need for multiple required books by incorporating multiple materials in one packet (average price of a Mizzou Media custom packet in Fall 2006 was $14.21).
• Explore the feasibility of a limited textbook rental program (this requires a commitment by faculty), perhaps for a large enrollment class.
  
• Work to better educate the campus on ways to save students money.  We are also looking at buying back books that are used only one semester per year. 
• Expand buyback options.  We buy back books for 3 UM campuses and Stephens campus and are piloting expanding this to other campuses.  Students should use the three programs we have: Sell A Book, Used Book Classifieds and Buyback Alerts.
• Currently, University Bookstore buys back books required for the following semester.  Some classes are offered yearly instead of in consecutive semesters.  This means that if you take a class in the fall but the course wont’ be offered again until next fall, you won’t get very much for buyback.