Task Force to eliminate high bookstore prices

According to a study implemented by the United States Government Accountability Office, college textbooks prices have increased at an average of six percent per year over the past two decades.

To help alleviate this nationwide problem locally, Mike Haun, Marketing Manager of Auxiliary Services, is directing the campus’ newly-created Bookstore Task Force in hopes of lowering prices at GC&SU’s PawPrints Bookstore.

“We’re trying to achieve a good communication line with the bookstore, faculty & students,” Haun said. “We’re basically working out that stuff so that students will buy books from the bookstore and that they’ll have a good buyback policy.”

Haun recently attended a national college bookstore conference at Augusta State University and brought back many new ideas for the Task Force to discuss.

“We know a lot more about what other colleges have done, what has worked and what has not worked, on the statewide and national levels,” Haun said.

Freshman Melissa Balkey is outraged at the high price of textbooks.

“I spent almost $500 on my books this semester,” Balkey said. “I think the bookstore needs to be more considerate of college students because the HOPE scholarship doesn’t pay enough for books.”

Many students, like senior Stephen Pipkin, have turned to the Internet for cheaper book prices.

“I haven’t used the bookstore since my freshman year,” Pipkin said. “I found the books much cheaper online.”

Haun said most students blame the campus bookstore, but it all goes back to the publisher.

“The truth is, when a new edition of a book comes out, there are no used books to sell. The wholesaler comes on campus and is told to try to buy the new edition at a good price, but one of two things usually happen,” Haun said. “One, he’ll give a horrible price for it and students lose, and two, he wont buy the book back and all and students lose again.”

Haun said most students don’t realize that the bookstore is owned by the school, not independently run.

“The bookstore charges the same margins across the board, and the profits made from the books go toward bookstore renovation, funding scholarships, paying the bookstore workers’ salaries and to help other auxiliary services,” Haun said. “Since that’s been consistent, that’s not the culprit.”

Haun said we have to look at what’s changed in the last couple of years, and that’s one of the reasons for starting the Task Force.

“We’re sitting down with faculty, students and bookstore staff because all three have played integral roles and have invested interest in what’s been happening,” Haun said. “(At the conference,) there was talk about increasing pressure on the publishers because there’s lots of things that don’t make sense. For example, internationally, you can get books for a lot cheaper from the same publisher that we buy books from. Here in America, not just Georgia, it’s one price. When the same company goes overseas to sell the book, it’s a lower price. So they’re taking advantage of the wealth that is experienced here in America.”

One of Haun’s main goals is to implement a guaranteed buyback policy.

“We’re talking about having stickers on the books, both new and used, guaranteeing that the bookstore will buy the book back at a guaranteed certain percent,” Haun said.

Haun also wants to stress to students that if they sold their books back to PawPrints Bookstore, then they wouldn’t have to go off-site to buy new textbooks. He has conducted a plan that will give students an incentive, while also helping recognized student organizations (RSOs) at the same time.

“What we’re planning on doing is having a contest in which students can sell their books back to the bookstore and write their favorite RSO on the ticket,” Haun said. “At the end, whatever RSO has the most votes wins a $500 grant or so from the bookstore.”

The Task Force met on Wednesday in Atkinson 202 at 11 a.m., and they hope to meet every Wednesday at the same time and place.

“We worked right around communication (among faculty, students and bookstore workers), and we’re still working on goals,” Task Force member Janessa Hartmann said. “It’s an excellent task force, and we’re working really well with it.”

Haun encourages those unable to attend the meetings to watch them when they are broadcast on University-TV.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 30 2005. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry