Textbook sales on the decline

Textbook sales at Student Stores are on the decline — and it’s not just because of prices.

In the 2010-11 academic year, Student Stores sold almost 12,000 less units than the previous year, and almost 20,000 less than it did four years ago.

Changing course preferences are partly to blame for the drop in sales, said John Gorsuch, director of Student Stores.

In 2010-11, 653 classes at the University did not require textbooks, up from 217 in 2006-07.

Some professors said they go without textbooks because they don’t want to place a financial burden on students, while others said they couldn’t find the quality of textbook they wanted.

Rachael Clemens, a doctoral student-teacher in the School of Information and Library Science, wrote in an email that she couldn’t find a textbook that supported the needs of her class.

“I prefer the opportunity and flexibility of inserting/replacing new and diverse readings, rather than relying on a pre-packaged textbook,” she said.

Gorsuch said he doesn’t attribute the decline in sales to the prices of Student Store’s textbooks, which are in line with the market value.

He said the price of a textbook is set by the manufacturer, and Student Stores only adds a standard 25 percent industry markup. The markup pays for operating costs for Student Stores, and leftover profits go to the University’s scholarship fund, Gorsuch said.

But the portion that goes to scholarships is just a small percentage of the markup, he said.

Instead of buying textbooks from Student Stores, many students rent textbooks from outside companies or buy them from other providers like Amazon.com.

Despite student interest in renting textbooks, Student Stores is not currently planning to offer that option.

Kelly Hanner, textbook department manager, said rented textbooks can be cheaper but also out-of-date.

Hanner said if Student Stores were to adopt an in-house rental program, professors would have less freedom to choose their material, because they would be stuck using the same book for years.

Some students are also turning to e-books and e-readers to buy textbooks.

Hanner said Student Stores follows changing technological preferences based on the demands of students and professors. E-books only account for a small percentage of its business, Gorsuch said.

The small percentage of sales is based on several factors like the technology requirements of professors, and the fact that not all books have e-book components, Gorsuch said.

“In any large volume situation, you can’t please everybody,” Gorsuch said. “But we want a high degree of satisfaction.”

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