Show I Textbook prices puts strain on students' students pocketbooks during summer sell semester ester esterI I Andrew Marshall Campus Staff Writer Textbook shopping at is almost like hearing the story of Robin Hood told backwards steal from the poor and give to the rich Textbooks can cost anywhere from 20 to Many students can expect to pay the equivalent half of their tuition just on textbooks The increasing costs can be frustrating for those struggling to afford higher education We are sensitive to the price issue said Sharon Riggs manager of textbooks at the Redwood Campus She explained that college textbooks need to go through a much more complex publishing cycle than other books After the theauthor theauthor theauthor author or authors have written the book it needs to go through a rigorous rigor rigor- ous examination by publishers editors editors editors edi edi- tors revisers reviewers and experts on the subject t matter before it can canhit canhit canhit hit the shelves This process can take up to five years In the end only to copies of each textbook are arc usually printed further increasing the printing cost In addition addition addition addi addi- tion more and more professors are requiring students to purchase supplemental supplemental supplemental sup sup- materials such as CDs videos and online material These as well other costs such as shipping all factor into the hefty price And the problem is only getting worse leaving students and teachers looking for answers Were looking at alternatives said Riggs Used books books e-books and there has been some talk about rental books in the future She also mentioned that most of the textbooks are in the library on reserve meaning they cannot be checked out but can be used within the library There are other even cheaper solutions as well thanks to the miraculous works of the Internet More and more students are using the World Wide Web as a source of buying and selling textbooks For instance the textbook The Study of American Folklore costs at full price in the bookstore After typing in the ISBN number at the same book was found listed for 1 The condition was described as some hilight- hilight marking ing and wear but students are axe most likely willing to overlook superficial damage especially if they can keep their In another test the book The Economy Today priced at a whop whop- ping in the bookstore was found on eBay selling for 40 Some students take advantage of both the school bookstore and the Internet by purchasing the book first fast I from the bookstore while waiting for forthe forthe forthe the Internet copy to be shipped in and then returning the original nal to the bookstore This creates frustration said Riggs We want to help the stude students by by having as many used books as possible With online sales students are buying and selling to each other making our marketplace less prof prof- Riggs said that she understands why students go online but wishes they would buy Y at the bookstore to support the college store and the college college college col col- col- col lege itself |