Ellington

The HUB lawn was temporarily converted into a graveyard Tuesday last week. Cardboard tombstones lined the pathway, reading “R.I.P. off” and picturing the old editions of textbooks past. The display exhibited the rising cost of books and the often-inflated rate at which publishers print new editions.

Students of the UW branch of WashPIRG are campaigning for an online alternative to textbooks. E-books, as they are better known, are open-source textbooks that have been written by professors and published using an open license. So, while they are still peer reviewed and professionally edited, students and professors can access them for free. Print versions of the textbooks are also available for as little as $30.

“Our main mission is basically just to raise awareness, letting professors know that there are other resources available,” said UW freshman Justin McCarthy, who is spearheading the campaign. “We certainly don’t want to reduce the quality of textbooks just because they’re free. But, we don’t think that the free textbooks and [high-quality textbooks] are necessarily mutually exclusive anymore.”

Last week, McCarthy, accompanied by a small group of volunteers armed with information, went from professor to professor explaining the dire need for more affordable textbooks. He then asked teachers to sign a statement of intent to further explore the e-books option.

“Most [textbook] publishers build in obsolescence by coming out with a new addition every three years, often with chapters slightly rearranged and with some cosmetic changes,” said Lewis Mandell, a professor in the Foster School of Business. “This is not fair to students.”

According to Student Fiscal Services, the average UW student spends $1,035 on textbooks every year. That’s nearly 13 percent of tuition. Publishing companies sometimes add bells and whistles to increase the price of the textbook, like shrink-wrapped CD-ROMS and online study guides.

The benefit of an open license and online access is that professors have the ability to customize their textbook of choice. Instead of relying on generic introductory material, they can rework it so that it better fits their lesson plan.

Professor David Pengra, who teaches physics at the UW, explained that he already offers many of his labs and lesson plans online. McCarthy sees this as a step in the right direction. Subjects like physics and calculus don’t require new editions because the material rarely changes.

The concept behind e-books has been circulating for a while, but some teachers are still apprehensive.

“Instructors struggle to get students to actually sit and read anything,” said Pengra. “The e-book is likely to accelerate this non-reading trend.”

Some professors use their own textbooks to structure the class and are protective of their incomes. Others are hesitant about the switch to electronic media. Blogging mania and databases like Wikipedia have made people question the accuracy of online material, particularly when it’s responsible for educating a class of 300 students.

“I think the word ‘open source’ sort of has a negative connotation,” McCarthy said. “But, these books are, first of all, written by professors, and they’re peer reviewed and edited — everything that a standard textbook has in terms of quality and educational content.”

To ease people’s fears about e-books, WashPIRG students have pieced together a database of those textbooks already available online. McCarthy also plans on speaking to professors during the Faculty Senate meetings in December. McCarthy believes it’s just a matter of time before schools like the UW realize the practicality of this innovation.

“I think that’s where the market is headed eventually,” McCarthy said. “But, it won’t get there unless people organize their efforts.”

Reach reporter Celina Kareiva at news@dailyuw.com.