8 UPEI News

Textbook

BY ERIN FAGAN

Many UPEI students are learning to make do with an- other expense intrinsic to their education -- the cost of the textbook -- thanks to a demor- alizing combination of infla- tion, the wounded Canadian

The Cadre

costs of education

dollar, and plain greed. Textbook prices have increased approximately 12 percent this year according to Eric Gallant, manager of the UPEI bookstore. This increase has been

attributed to the fact that a strong number of textbooks are published in the United States.

“One veterinary medi- cine text, invoiced in U.S. funds, was quoted as being

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seventy-five dollars,” Gallant said. “In Canadian funds...it was quoted over the phone to be $105.”

He admits that the state of the Canadian dollar does have its effect on textbook prices, but adds that a gradual increase in book prices over the past several years is also a culprit.

One UPEI professor told her class that it was “shame- ful” that a soft-cover textbook cost as much as fifty-six dol- lars, with taxes added to this amount. The situation is being felt across Canada, says Gal- lant.

Matt Gray, SU president, questioned the actual influence ofthe dollar.“The dollar hasn’t dropped fifteen percent,” he said.

Mian Ali, professor of Economics at UPEI, affirmed that the falling dollar is only marginally influencing prices atthe moment, citing that text- books prices and the cost of living have been increasing steadily over the past several years. He did state that im- ported goods costslightly more because of the status of the dollar.

* 6 October 1998

prices add to the rising |

But despite avoiding the impact on the cost of crossing the border, even Canadian published texts are not immune tohikes in prices. These books often have an American influ- ence, ifonly in production.

A “Canadian” edition of apsychology text was discov- ered actually to be bound in the U.S.

Inflation over the years is also to blame.

“When I attended uni- versity, an expensive book was about $25,” Ali added.

Gallant also said that an expensive textbook, when he first started out at the book store, only cost about $50.

He speculated that fre- quent mergers between pub- lishing companies over the past few years might have an influ- ence. He ventured that re- duced competition due to these mergers might be driving prices up.

Another _ professor summed up his opinion of the textbook situation.

“’m not here to make the textbook companies rich, I’m here to teach. Textbooks are necessary.”

Rows of unsold textbooks in UPEI Bookstore Photo by Richard Haines