Students concerned over bookstore prices

By Alison Briant staff writer /

It is that time again. Time for pencils, teachers and particularly dirty looks from the students as they leave Cabrini's bookstore weighed down with their stacks of textbooks.

Students have recently been voicing their complaints regarding the high cost of book buying in the campus bookstore. However, a recent Loquitur study showed that the prices at the bookstore may not be as high as many people think.

Prices set by Cabrini's bookstore usually matched up with the prices at Amazon.com, an online bookstore, after shipping and handling costs were factored in.

Prices at Barnes and Noble.com, another Internet bookstore, were similar to those of Amazon.com.

Faculty members understand the circumstances around the process of buying books.

"It's a business. What do you expect?" asked Dr. Leonard N. Primiano, assistant professor of reli-

Bookstore Breakdown

A comparison between boob bought at Amazon.com and at Cabrini's bootston rneals that the book$toreis aclua/ly less expensive than the Internet source.

gious studies.

As one of those who orders the books the students must purchase, he explained that price is taken into consideration among faculty.

"If I have a choice between a hardcover or less expensive softcover, I will opt for the latter.

"Students nationwide are suffering by overpaying for books," he said.

Mike Barouki, manager of Cabrini's bookstore, is aware of the students' concerns.

He explains that this college's bookstore and over 550 others are owned by a private company called Follett College Bookstores of Chicago.

He specified that this private company keeps 25 percent of the net price on every book sold.

For example, when a student purchases a $50.00 textbook, $12.50 goes directly to the company.

Some students choose to travel off campus in search of lower prices. They will not have much luck if they visit Eastern College's Bookstore. Eastern also employs the use of Follett College Bookstores.

Others scan the area's commercial bookstores and are sometimes successful in finding lower prices, even if they are not always for the book they need. Campus bookstores specially order just the right book, whereas a neighborhood Barnes and Noble may not carry it.

Students are wondering if these books are over-priced and if they should be shopping somewhere else.

'The purchase of books is not a choice, it is a necessity. Therefore it should be made more affordable to the struggling college student," senior Zoe Baldwin said.

My bill was way too much money," said first-year student Greg Kulnis. "I spent $420.00 on books!"

In reference to the price of books at local bookstores, Mike Barouki had a theory.

"Outside bookstores compete with the campus bookstores and have larger numbers of people attending their stores, so they can afford to lower their prices," he said.