The local college bookstores in New Mexico generally take an average or less than average profit margin on the sales of textbooks, yet they also rely heavily on those books for total sales. There are a set of issues which do affect textbook costs, however, and institutions, faculty, and staff can choose to deal with these issues in such a way as to minimize costs to students. The following is a set of recommendations for how New Mexico colleges and universities and their employees can help alleviate some of the burden which our students face when purchasing the ever-necessary textbook. Encourage faculty to look carefully at price when choosing textbooks for courses. Remind them that elaborate graphics are often not what students want or need.
Content is crucial, as is price, appearances are less so.
Encourage faculty to use the same text for at least two years, and preferably three. Encourage faculty to look into other methods of instruction. Advances in technology are providing new ways to access information. These sources of information are often free, and can provide students with needed knowledge, while reducing the need to purchase numerous textbooks. Ask faculty to expand the use of library reserve desks.