By TAMI OLSEN
tami@du2.byu.edu
The continually rising costs of textbooks for university classes across the nation is an area of concern for both students and teachers and BYU is no exception.
'It's dang expensive,' said David Edwards.
Edwards, 23 and a junior majoring in zoology from Red Deer, Alberta, said he will use some of the books required for his classes for the rest of his life, so he can eat the cost.
But of other books he said, 'What's the point of buying expensive textbooks if you're just going to sell it back?'
From 1990 to 1996, the average price of all books (both paperbacks and hardbacks combined) during Fall Semester rose from $22.39 to $28.08.
The highest jump in book price averages was between 1995 and 1996 when the average book price rose $1.51.
Dee Hansen, textbook manager for the BYU Bookstore, said the yearly inflation of textbook costs is normal.
She said the price can sometimes increase twice a year, and the Bookstore has no control over it.
'There is a monopoly on textbooks,' Hansen said. 'You can only go to the publisher to get (a specific book) -- you can't shop around like you would for jeans.'
She said as publisher prices rise, there is no choice but to raise student book costs as well.
Hansen said the average cost for a book during Spring Term 1997 was $30.95, which fits preceding inflation rates.
Students like Edwards said they understand that BYU can do nothing about the rising cost of books.
However, Michelle Munson, 20, a junior from Caremont, Calif., majoring in nursing, said the problem is when students are required to buy books they don't even need. 'You may not even use a book in class, and then you find out you can't sell it back because there's a new edition or something,' Munson said.
Hansen said a trend at the school has been to lean more towards paperback books instead of hardbacks because of the cost. The number of hardbacks has decreased from 876 in 1990 to 775 titles in 1996. The number of paperback textbooks increased from 2,130 in 1990 to 2,438 in 1996.
Though the number of paperbacks has increased, Hansen said sometimes the price difference between paperbacks and hardbacks is minimal.
She said paperback editions are most often chosen, but some professors choose to use hardback books because they think students will keep them after the class is finished, and hardbacks tend to be more permanent.
Hansen said the increasing paperback trend shows teachers are concerned about student costs. She said there are some professors who know what book they want to use regardless of cost.
Most, however, are concerned about the cost of textbooks, and some even contact the textbook department for cost comparisons before deciding on which textbook they would like to use.
'I really feel for my students,' said Steven Thomsen, a professor in the communications department.
Thomsen said he takes prices into account when he orders books and has sometimes though twice about requiring a second book for a class because of costs.
Hansen said some of the most abundant textbooks ordered are for Physical Science 100 with 2,400 titles purchased last fall, and American Heritage with 2,252 titles sold.
The differences between the prices of these books is vast, however. The Physical Science book cost only $15.60 because it is produced on campus by BYU Print Services. The American Heritage book is $40.45 because of its national publication.
Hansen said the Bookstore also contacts the faculty if they notice something unusual, like a very expensive small book. She said often professors do not know the cost of the books they are ordering and will change if something seems unreasonable.
To combat book costs, Thomsen said he tries to put together handouts with assignments and examples. Though it requires a lot of photocopying, Thomsen said, if it can save students money and do a better job, then he'll do it.
Statistics for 1997 were unavailable, but the average cost for hardbacks in 1996 was $55.39, and the average price for paperbacks was $19.09.