For Immediate Release: October 29, 2009

For More Information: Nicole Allen, 617-747-4409, nicole@studentpirgs.org

STUDENTS PROMOTE FREE ONLINE TEXTBOOKS IN NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION

Volunteers Educate More Than 2,000 Professors About Open Textbooks

BOSTON – Students across the country fought back yesterday against outrageous textbook prices by participating in national Day of Action to promote open textbooks – textbooks licensed to be free online and affordable in print.  Motivated by rapidly rising college textbook costs, student volunteers on 30 campuses educated more than 2,000 professors about switching to open textbooks.  Increased faculty interest in affordable alternatives could threaten the reign of expensive, traditional textbooks. 

“More affordable textbooks exist, and we are making sure that professors know about them,” said Nicole Allen, Textbooks Advocate for the Student PIRGs.  “If more classes start to use free open textbooks, it could put serious pressure on publishers to lower their prices.”

Open textbooks are complete digital textbooks that are accessible online at no cost, and affordable to purchase printed as a book. The educational material inside open textbooks is similar to traditional texts; the difference is that open textbooks are licensed to allow users to legally access and reformat copies of the text at no additional cost. This gives students the choice to read their textbooks in multiple print and digital formats.  The number of open textbooks is steadily growing as new publishing models evolve.  For example, the open textbook publisher Flat World Knowledge released more than a dozen open textbooks this year.  

Yesterday also marked the launch of the online Open Textbook Catalog, which provides information about many of the top open textbooks currently available.  The catalog is designed to mimic a publisher website, providing an author bio, table of contents and short description for each of the books.  Soon, the catalog will also offer expert editorial reviews to help professors gauge quality. Students involved in yesterday’s Day of Action encouraged professors to visit the catalog to start their search for affordable alternatives.

“Open textbooks are one of many possible solutions to the textbook affordability crisis, but we believe that they offer student consumers the best benefits,” said Allen.  “We are promoting open textbooks to set the bar high for alternatives to expensive, traditional textbooks.”

Previous research conducted by the Student PIRGs documents the source of skyrocketing textbook prices.  Textbook publishers have increased their wholesale prices more than four times the rate of inflation since 1994, and release new editions and expensive bundles that drive cheaper used books off the market.  The average student now spends $900 per year on textbooks, which can amount to a fifth of tuition at a public university.

The Student PIRGs’ research on textbook costs: http://www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks/research

The Open Textbook Catalog: http://www.studentpirgs.org/open-textbooks/catalog 

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The Student PIRGs is a national network of independent, state-based student organizations that fight for the public interest. www.studentpirgs.org