Textbook and Bookmart Survey Information
Feb 22nd, 2009 by admin
Textbook Survey Results (powerpoint document)
Amazon vs. Bookmart Price Comparison (Excel Spreadsheet)
THE ISSUE
The Bookmart has been the source of textbook distribution at UW Law School for many years. The Bookmart was originally created to provide textbooks to students at the lowest cost possible. See Read This First § 3.1, at 16. However, with the advent of online vendors, textbooks can be purchased over the Internet, often at lower costs than what is offered at the Bookmart. Other factors, such as more convenient hours of operation, more lenient return policies, and credit/debit card payment options make other vendors more attractive to student buyers. Still, the Bookmart offers both the convenience of on-site location and institutional knowledge that comes with dealing with a relatively small number of publishers on a regular basis. Regardless of which source of textbooks students prefer, the Bookmart’s release of the book list, generally 7-10 days before classes start, does not leave much time to shop around online and receive books before the start of classes.
THE QUESTION
Who should have the responsibility of releasing textbook information to students, and when should this information be released? As of July 2010, federal law will requires universities to disclose textbook information on the university’s Internet course schedule. See Higher Education Opportunity Act, Sec. 112, Pub. L. No. 110-315, 122 Stat. 3078, 3109 (Aug. 14, 2008). The purpose of the provision is to “ensure that students have access to affordable course materials by decreasing costs to students and enhancing transparency and disclosure with respect to the selection, purchase, sale, and use of course materials.” Id. Given this, SBA is considering drafting a letter to Dean Davis requesting that the administration be tasked with ensuring that textbook information be made available to students at a reasonable time. The survey that was sent to all the students is part of an effort to gather information to see if there is statistical data to support for this position. We are very interested in hearing your comments, suggestions, criticisms, praise or questions about this issue to help reduce textbook costs for students and make law school more affordable. Please email them to jmmcnamara@wisc.edu. Thank you!
Clarifications:
1. The SBA is not considering asking the law school administration to close down the Bookmart. Rather, the SBA is considering a proposal to ask the administration to take responsibility for the release of textbook information (the administration currently relies upon the Bookmart to compile the list), and to release it to students earlier than in the past so that students have the opportunity to purchase books from other vendors and still have their textbooks in time for the first day of class. Some members of the administration and faculty have voiced a concern that if the book list is released earlier, the Bookmart will not make as many sales (because students will choose to purchase from other vendors), and thus the Bookmart may be forced to close down for economic reasons. That is why the issue of the Bookmart closing is connected to the issue of requesting the book list to be released earlier.
2. The law school does not earn any money from Bookmart book sales, nor does it financially subsidize the Bookmart. The Bookmart is a non-profit organization that was created for the convenience of the law students, and to provide students with textbooks and other materials at the lowest cost possible. See Read This First, sec. 3.1.
3. The Bookmart is unlikely to sell used textbooks in the future. The reason is that the Bookmart does not have enough physical space to store new and used books. The Bookmart does buy back some used books from students at the end of each semester, but those books are sold to a national wholesaler and are not sold directly back to students. See Read This First, sec. 3.4.
4. The Bookmart does not currently accept credit cards, likely because because credit card companies typically charge vendors a fee of between 2 and 5% of each sale. It is unknown if the Bookmart would offer the option to pay with credit cards in the future, because of its relatively small market. See Read This First, sec. 3.1.
5. The SBA will likely not be releasing textbook information or selling used books in the future. Because of their time-intensive nature, the tasks do not lend themselves to being repeated each semester. Providing students with opportunities to reduce the costs of textbooks requires a more permanent solution.
It would be very interesting to have the bookmark present their side of the equation. With the Higher Education Opportunity Act, Sec. 112, Pub. L. No. 110-315, 122 Stat. 3078, 3109, I would assume that most students will purchase those books that are dramatically overpriced (when compared to Amazon’s prices) from Amazon. So, the Bookmart will lose this revenue. One presumes that these overpriced textbooks (compared to Amazon) drive much of the bookmart’s revenue stream. What is the bookmart’s strategy? Will they cut hours? Will they increase the prices of other texts?
So, it would be highly informative for the bookmart to present their current costs and also their plans for the future.
1. The Bookmart is a non-profit organization that exists to “SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN LAW SCHOOL THROUGH THE OPERATION OF A BOOK STORE”. I encourage my fellow students to complete the SBA survey and answer whether they think that the Bookmart is fulfilling its mission. Personally, I would feel more supported if 1) I have access to a booklist in time to be able to purchase used and other lower cost books that the bookmart is unwilling/unable to offer for sale and 2) I would be able to purchase books with a credit card, especially since my loans are not always available to me in the few days prior to buying books.
2. Because the Bookmart is a nonprofit, I want people to know that they can view the Bookmart’s latest publicly available tax report (available at http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/391/739/2007-391739458-036476a6-9.pdf). I hope that the Bookmart and those on its Board of Directors (Dean Davis, Kevin Kelly, Prof. Clauss, and Prof. Irish) will improve their services to students by either offering used books for sale or releasing the book list earlier so those that students who will graduate with often $50,000 or more in debt (and in a terrible job market, nonetheless) will be able to save at least $1,000 dollars of debt.
Hi Everyone!
Help SBA out by taking our survey re: Text Books. The survey is here: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/104505/textbooks
It only takes a couple of minutes!
Thanks,
Danielle Hoffmann
SBA Secretary
For more information about the issue, see this letter sent to faculty by the SBA:
Dear Professors,
As you are aware, SBA is compiling a Spring 2009 booklist to provide students the opportunity to buy their books through on-line retailers and other sources. The SBA will inform the student body that it has reached out to all professors teaching a class next semester to compile this list. The list will show each professor, their class(es), and for those who have responded, the books they will be using. If we do not have any book information from a professor, the last section will be blank.
We strongly believe that this information is vital to serving the needs of students. For those of you who have responded and given your textbook information (so far, roughly 60% of those teaching next semester), thank you for your support. For those of you who have not, we would like to share our thoughts with you:
1. The Bookmart (an independent, non-university organization) is the only current source of textbook information for students.The Bookmart does not release the booklist with enough time for students to purchase books online and still have them arrive in time to be prepared for the first day of class.
2. Books can be purchased on-line and from other sources for significantly lower prices than those offered at the Bookmart. The Bookmart only sells new books at standard markup prices. Books represent a major financial burden to students who are already struggling with high tuition and lack of income. New and used textbooks are often available on-line for cheaper than they are offered at the Bookmart. Please see some examples below:
Torts (Prosser)
Bookmart: $146
Amazon: $116.80 (new, shipping included: 20% discount)
$20.99, (used, including shipping: 86% discount)
American Constitutional Law, Massey (2 ed.)
Bookmart: $130
Amazon: $81.19 (new, shipping included: 38% discount)
$60.48 (used, shipping included: 53% discount)
Civil Procedure, Yeazell (7 ed.)
Bookmart: $140
Amazon: $98.99 (new, shipping included: 29% discount)
$78.99 (used, shipping included: 44% discount)
Business Organization: Cases, Problems, and Case Studies, Smith & Williams (2 ed.)
Bookmart: $135
Amazon: $71.33 (new, shipping included: 48% discount)
$63.99 (used, shipping included: 53% discount)
3. The Bookmart hours are not convenient for all students. Many students like to go home for most of the break and arrive back in Madison the weekend before classes begin. Without the option to buy their books on-line (or from other sources) and have them at home over the holiday, however, these students have to schedule their travel plans around Bookmart hours. Students would have to return to Madison by Friday afternoon at the latest, so that they can buy their books before the Bookmart closes for the weekend (the Bookmart is generally closed the Monday before classes begin).
4. On-line sources generally offer the same, if not better, return policies. The Bookmart requires that books purchased at the beginning of the semester be returned by the second Friday, less than two weeks after the first day of class. For books purchased mid-semester, the Bookmart requires the book be returned within two days of purchase. Amazon, for example, allows returns of new books for up to a month after the delivery date.
5. The Bookmart does not accept credit or debit cards. These types of payments would be available to students if they could purchase their textbooks online.
We certainly are not advocating that students purchase their books on-line over the Bookmart. We do, however, see that there are certain advantages to doing so, and simply want to give students that option. Of course, there are some risks that are inherent with buying any item on-line. However, students should be given the choice whether to take this risk, and not be forced to work though one vendor when other options are available. We hope that in light of these reasons, you will decide to support the choice and freedom of the students.
If you plan to make your book available on the SBA booklist, please email the information to Jessica McNamara, SBA 3L Representative, at jmmcnamara@wisc.edu. We also encourage you to submit your textbook information through the university-wide system, as described by Professor Desai. If you choose to utilize this system, please let us know so that we can inform the students to check MY UW for textbook information (as of now, most students do not even know this system exists).
If you have any questions, please contact Jessica or Vic Yanz, SBA President, at yanz@wisc.edu. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Student Bar Association