Potential U.S. law might decrease textbook prices

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Textbooks might become a lot cheaper for students at MSU and across the nation if a bill in the U.S. Senate becomes law.

The Open College Textbook Act, introduced in Sept. 2009, would provide one-year grants to universities and professors to produce quality textbooks that would be available for free online.

Under an open license, professors and students could visit the website and access the books, creating a cost-free alternative to traditional textbooks that can cost hundreds of dollars each. The legislation also would establish a review board to ensure the textbooks produced are accurate and of high quality.

The bill was introduced by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Durbin became concerned about the increasing cost of textbooks after visiting college campuses and talking to students across Illinois, his spokeswoman Christina Mulka said in an e-mail.

“(Durbin) heard from students who were unable to take classes because they can’t afford the textbooks,” Mulka said. “Others have had to choose between paying rent and buying their textbooks. … He felt that this was an unsustainable situation for students at a time when many families are facing unemployment, foreclosure and rising college tuition.”

Currently, many publishing companies use the Internet to increase textbook prices, and Durbin wanted to turn technology to students’ advantage, Mulka said.

“Durbin has watched textbook publishers use technology to drive up the cost of textbooks through unnecessary online supplements and CD-ROMs,” Mulka said. “He believes it is time that we use the potential of technology to improve college access, learning and affordability for all students.”

Although he keeps the cost of textbooks in mind when assigning reading to students, price is not the only factor in choosing a book, said Robert Maleczka, a chemistry professor at MSU.

“I have no problem with using open textbooks, but … sometimes you get what you pay for,” Maleczka said. “Just that it’s open source, that’s not enough to attract me to it.”

Open textbooks are an interesting idea, but there is a lot more than price to a good textbook, said Christina Chan, a computer science and engineering professor at MSU.

“(Whether I would assign an open textbook) would depend on the textbook, the content, the examples, versus the (textbooks) that are already available and published,” Chan said. “If it’s not the same level as the textbooks that can be purchased, then I would have to think about it.”

Because he spends more than $300 on books per semester, any method to create cheaper textbooks would be worthwhile, said Ariel Sindel, a biochemistry and biotechnology senior.

“Books are overwhelmingly expensive,” Sindel said. “To pay $100 for a book — it’s insane.”

Due to other pressing concerns in the Senate, students likely will not see free textbooks gracing their syllabi this year, but Durbin is willing to consider any method of passage, Mulka said.

“Durbin is committed to seeing that this legislation moves forward and will be keeping his legislative options open,” Mulka said.

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