| (U-WIRE) DETROIT, Mich. - As the final shipments of textbooks are arriving at Wayne State University's Barnes & Noble and Marwil's bookstores, students are finding they have to dig deeper into their pockets. "The prices are ridiculous," according to Angela Cross, a junior business major. Emma Wilson, sophomore public relations major, said she has spent $426 this fall on books - more money than in any other single semester, she said. Wilson, who is taking 16 credits, said multiple books were required for a few of her classes and most of the books she bought were new. One relatively thin book cost her $46, she said. "It's ridiculous the prices they charge you," Wilson said, adding that it's up to the publishers to set the prices, and if the bookstores chose to add an additional mark-up, it makes the prices that much worse. Brenda Langford, a junior nursing major, agreed. | "They are awfully high," she said. "The other day, I just spent $100 for one book, $53 for a coursepack, and a very thin nursing pamphlet cost me $18. I'd really like to know how they are pricing these books." Stan Lohman, general manager at WSU's Barnes & Noble, said that there are several factors involved in pricing textbooks. First, there is a set agreement between the University and Barnes & Nob le about the prices and this semester a 25 percent markup was agreed upon. Loh man also said that publishers also have a job to sell books. The problem, therefore, is that what's in the best interest for a publisher isn't always in the best interest of the students, he said, but added that if professors used the same edition of a book for several semesters, the price would be kept down and students would be able to buy more used books. According to Wilson, "the only thing that would work is a huge complaint to the publishers," she said, but that doesn't happen. During the first week of them. |