By Annie MartinThe Daily Northwestern

The proposed College Textbook Affordability Act and three new bills in the Illinois State Legislature could help reduce the cost of textbooks for college students.

The act would require textbook publishers to make available to faculty at universities receiving federal funding information on book prices, past editions and any alternative formats in which books can be purchased, such as paperback.

Affected schools would be required to provide students with the prices of books at the time students register for courses.

The act, which U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., sponsored, has been approved by the Senate and is under review in the House of Representatives.

Additionally, three bills in the Illinois State Legislature would help reduce costs incurred by college students in Illinois.

One would give students an income tax credit equal to five percent of their total textbook costs, with a maximum credit of $75. The cap would come into play if a student’s books for the year cost more than $1,500.

A second bill would establish a Textbook Advisory Committee at each state college and university that would work with publishers and retailers to reduce textbook costs for students.

The last bill would create the Textbook Consumer Information Act, which is intended to help professors and students make cost-efficient textbook decisions.

“(Textbook prices) are exorbitant,” said State Sen. Pamela Althoff (R-Crystal Lake), who is sponsoring the three bills. “Over the past several years, textbook prices have really gone up.”

Some students spend more than $900 per semester on books, Althoff said. The senator said she and her colleagues sometimes receive phone calls from parents who are surprised by the cost of their children’s textbooks. So last year, a group of senators and representatives met with college officials, professors, publishers and distributors to brainstorm ideas for solutions.

Several senators have taken a great interest in the textbook issue, Althoff said.

“We want to provide more Illinois students with the opportunity for a broad-based education,” she said.

There are several basic problems with the current system, Althoff said.

First, many colleges have no textbook rental program, and where it is offered, the program does not substantially reduce the cost of books, she said. Additionally, students must often purchase their books in packages that include items they don’t need.

The State Senate passed the three bills March 29, and the House Rules Committee is now reviewing them.

Associated Student Government President Jonathan Webber said textbook costs have become unreasonable for many students.

The SESP junior, who founded NUOnlineBooks.com two years ago to provide students with price comparisons for textbooks from different Web sites, said he thinks one of the biggest problems with textbooks at Northwestern is that students usually don’t know what books they will need to buy until the first day of classes.

“The only real option is to go to Norris (Bookstore), which is not conducive to a consumer market,” Webber said.

Communication senior Sarah Pazar, a Norris Bookstore cashier, said she thought the best way to reduce textbook prices is to encourage professors to use older editions if possible.

“It’s frustrating because often students will want to sell their books back, and even though the edition is only one or two years old, it’s obsolete,” Pazar said.

One reason textbook prices are high, Pazar said, is that the author, publisher, bookstore and several other organizations all must receive part of the price of the book.

“There are so many people associated with each book,” Pazar said. “But I think Norris is doing a really good job.”

Weinberg junior Kira Geselowitz said the school, not the government, should be working to bring down prices.

“I’d much rather have the university stop and try to find a way,” Geselowitz said. “They shouldn’t try to swindle us on books.”

Reach Annie Martin at [email protected].