Textbook market evolving

In the past decade, the prices of textbooks have increased at four times the rate of inflation.\nThese ever-increasing costs may draw grumbles from many students, but local textbook retailers say increased competition in the industry can be viewed a good thing.\nThe textbook wars are heating up as the battle for student dollars reaches a feverish pitch. The combination of bursar billing restrictions on the IU Bookstore and the increasing popularity of the Internet have widened the arena of competition traditionally dominated by the two local bookstores. \n"Students are sick and tired of the monopolistic tendencies of local bookstores," says Matt Adams, co-founder of Textbookscene.com, a Web site that allows students to compare prices of textbooks from several vendors and an example of the growing Internet textbook industry that has added a third party in the book battle. \nThe politics of textbooks on display last year resulted in a lengthy battle between T.I.S. and the IU Bookstore, in which T.I.S. requested the ability to also use of bursar billing, which resulted in the present situation that left both sides unhappy.\n"A girl burst into tears yesterday because she couldn't bill her books to the bursar," said Paul Hazel, director of the IU Bookstore. "It hurt my heart to see that, the students are really the ones losing out." \nFor the past two years, students have been allowed to post book purchases from the IU Bookstore on their bursar bills, however, because of allegations of unfair competition the policy was limited to athletes and students who receive Pell Grants, Stafford loans, SEO Grants and Perkins Loans.\nWith students literally crying about paying for textbooks, the tear-inducing politics of the textbook industry can often rear its ugly head. \n"We were just looking for an even playing field," says Paul Williams, the supply manager for T.I.S. Bookstore. \nWilliams suggested the exclusivity of bursar billing to the IU Bookstore hurt the business of T.I.S. in the past two years. \n"We wanted to offer bursar billing to students as well, but we were locked out," he said. \nBloomington stores now must look beyond the city limits to gauge competition. \n"Bookstores in Bloomington have so little competition (that they) don't worry about being competitive and sell books at full retail prices and make 30 to 40 percent profit sometimes on books," said Adams, who helped start Textbookscene.com last fall. \nAdams said this fall there has been a 50 percent increase in the Web site's usage this fall. \n"Students shop around for cars, they should shop around for books as well," Adams said.\nBut local bookstore owners suggest a more traditional method to buying books. \n"The Internet cannot compare to limestone and mortar," said Hazel, the director of the IU Bookstore. "You can't peruse a book on the Internet to see if it is in good condition. We are here to serve the students, the competition only wants to make money." \nHazel admits that the price of textbooks have been increasing even faster than inflation, but he attributes this to book publisher costs and higher salaries for academics. \n"All the price comparisons that we have done suggest that we are cheaper than our competition in a lot of cases," Hazel said. "There are some books where we are cheaper, and others which we are more expensive, but the bottom line is the difference is usually under a dollar."\nWilliams, the supply department manager for T.I.S., agreed with Hazel, suggesting that profit made from new books are very thin. \n"If we didn't sell used books, we wouldn't be able to stay in business," Williams said. \nBoth warn that with the Internet, you don't necessarily know what you are getting.\nHowever, the result of the increasing purchasing options has also led local bookstores to increase perks for shoppers to attract business. Both T.I.S. and IU Bookstore claim to be cheaper and to have the best customer service and convenience that students need. The T.I.S. Bookstore has recently introduced a "Rewards Card" that allows students to save or get rewards for using the store's services, while the IU Bookstore still has the advantage of bursar billing to athletes and students on financial aid. \nThe conflict between convenience and price rages in students, but for those who can still enjoy the ease of bursar billing, the choice is simple. \n"I go where I can bill my books to the bursar," said senior Sydney Swain, who suggests convenience is important to him. "The Internet is a hassle." \nAlthough bursar billing means he will have to pay for his books eventually, he said, "eventually is not now"