Michelle Robarts
Textbook prices are a big issue on many college campuses because prices seem so high and many people do not know the reason for it.
The Pierce College Bookstore is usually the easiest and most reliable destination when its students need to purchase textbooks.
But why are the prices so high?
Bookstore Manager Greg Osweiler was able to help answer this question. The margin and the publisher are what mainly determine textbook prices.
“If the company that we buy the books from raises the price, then we have to raise the price too,” Osweiler said.
The Los Angeles Community College District board of trustees also plays a role in determining the price of textbooks. The bookstore gets 27.7 percent of every dollar that they make off of textbook sales.
“That 27.7 percent goes to help us pay for bills, payroll, purchasing non-retail supplies, money for the district and administrative purposes,” Osweiler said. “The bookstore has an obligation to support the academic mission of the college.”
Students such as design major Jessica Lowe, 18, try to purchase used textbooks first, and if they are not available she uses online bookstores such as Amazon.com as her source for books at cheaper prices.
This does not affect the bookstore’s business, however. According to Osweiler, the bookstore is “the general preferred destination to buy books.”
Renee Flores, 20, doesn’t have too many issues with the high prices of the textbooks.
“Luckily, I am fortunate enough to receive financial aid for my books, so I really don’t have to worry about the book prices,” she said. “I think it’s too much of a hassle to order your textbooks online.”
Tyler Terrusa, 20, just pays cash for his books, regardless of the price. Steven Hanff, 22, buys all of his books from the bookstore.
“I first try to buy them used and in good condition, if not, I usually buy them new,” Hanff explained.
“I keep all my textbooks incase I need them in the future because the buyback gives you hardly any money back for them.”
“I can also afford to buy my books new because I have financial aid to cover my tuition costs,” he added.
For people who do not receive aid, the costs of the tuition plus the cost of books can get very expensive.
Online bookstores aren’t the only way to find books at a cheaper price. Often, students will sell their books to fellow students for a cheaper price.
Many students just want to get rid of their old textbooks, so they will hang up signs or stand outside specific classrooms and try to sell their textbooks to other students at the beginning of the semester.
This benefits the student selling the book, who would get more money than they would from the Pierce buyback, as well as the buyer, who gets the book for less money than the bookstore would charge.