With new legislation in the works, Miami University students and parents may soon know the true reason textbooks are so expensive.

The new bill, introduced by Representative Julia Carson (D-Ind.) Sept. 10, was developed to address the issue of textbook pricing and break down communication barriers between publishers, professors, school administrators, bookstores and students.

According to the College Textbook Affordability and Transparency Act of 2007, H.R. 3512, publishers would be required to disclose all costs associated with the product before approaching faculty members in order to avoid additional, unexpected costs that disrupt student budgeting.

"Students are suffering from sticker shock after going through their colleges' bookstores," Carson said. "This bill addresses many of the concerns we have heard related to this issue, and it assures transparency in textbook pricing. It seeks to bring the market's stakeholders together for the benefit of students."

Along with being sponsored by Carson and four other Democratic representatives; David Wu (D-Ore.), Steve Kagen (D-Wis.), Robert Scott (D-Va.) and Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.); the bill is endorsed by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), an organization aimed at advancing the academic freedoms and standards of higher education.

Nicole Byrd, government relations associate for AAUP, described the bill as a positive step in addressing the rising rates of textbook prices while admitting the bill won't revolutionize the industry. According to Byrd, the AAUP is particularly in support of the anti-bundling clause found in the bill. The clause would require textbook supplies to sell supplemental materials separately in addition to bundled packages including CDs, workbooks, charts and maps.

"Students feel like they are not getting their money's worth if the supplemental materials aren't used-which is quite often the case," Byrd said.

Byrd said that the AAUP is also petitioning for other ways to decrease textbooks costs, such as promoting paperback instead of hardcover copies. The AAUP is continually looking for cost conscious methods to assist students, Byrd said.

Representative Michael DeBose (D-Ohio) said he would support the bill.

"How can I be against a bill that brings assistance for people who need help?" DeBose said.

High textbook prices is a personal issue to DeBose, who said his daughter, a student at Cleveland State University, is still awaiting aid for her textbooks.

"Providing information on ways to find cheaper books is crucial," DeBose said.

In choosing a textbook at Miami University, mathematics and statistics instructor Aaron Bogan said price is not an initial decider or priority.

Bogan said faculty members of the each department consider which textbook best fits the philosophy of teaching the class. When deciding whether or not to purchase the newest edition of a text, Bogan said most professors opt for the newer edition, perhaps because the professors are not the ones actually purchasing the book.

In regards to the College Textbook Affordability Bill, Bogan said this legislation would have little impact.

"In a consumer-based economy, consumers dictate which products sell," Bogan said. "Schools should find the companies that provide pricing that best complements the needs of the administration and students."

The Miami University Bookstore, located within the Shriver Center, works to keep prices as low as possible and buyback rates as high as they can be, according to Jim Simpson, Miami University textbook manager for 21 years. Simpson said the bookstore retains a used book sale percentage that is more than twice the national average.

"Publishers are the determining factor in the price of textbooks," Simpson said. "Most college bookstores, ours included, work within a set margin for pricing textbooks."

According to Simpson, the university bookstore purchases books from Canada because of the favorable exchange rate which allows books to sell for $20-$45 less than those ordered within the U.S.

To ensure the best buyback rates, Simpson encourages students to sell back books during final exams week. Buyback prices are based on national demand as set by wholesalers.

"We are the epitome of the middle man," Simpson said. "We are told what to buy by faculty. We buy the books, shelve them, sell them."

Another measure taken by Miami to alleviate increasing textbook prices is the availability of textbooks of the 25 most popular classes based on enrollment at King Library as part of Miami President David Hodge's Access Project.

Judith Sessions, dean and university librarian, called the service, which began in spring 2007, extremely successful given the current state of textbook costs.

"College students and their parents are shocked by the additional expense of textbooks," Sessions said. "The last numbers I saw put the average cost of one textbook at $118."

Sessions said she is skeptical about the effectiveness of the bill.

"While the legislation is intended to keep costs down, the bureaucracy that it creates for publishers and institutions of higher learning will counterbalance any perceived savings," Sessions said. "This situation needs attention but federal legislation is not the way to go."

Bill H.R. 3512, which was introduced to the House Committee of Education and Labor, will remain in the committee for deliberation before a decision will be made whether or not to introduce it to the House for debate.