Dear Editor,

Attending Diablo Valley College, there are dozens of issues that come with a new semester, like parking and overcrowded classrooms. These are considered normal, and there’s not much we can do about it. However there’s rising concern among students and professors about the grossly overpriced textbooks in the DVC bookstore. Every student I’ve talked to about this topic seems to have the same experience with the bookstore, and avoids shopping for textbooks at the on-campus bookstore.

Not only the students, but nearly all DVC instructors have negative feelings toward the bookstore’s prices. The DVC bookstore is a convenient place to get coffee, food, and school materials, but when it comes to books, students are being taken advantage of.

The reason I feel this needs to be changed is that students already have expenses to worry about for DVC. For instance, students are spending $46 per unit, which according to the DVC catalog in 2006-2007 is a $20 increase since 2007. With the cost of units rising each year, it’s becoming more and more difficult for students to keep up with lessons when they can’t afford the book. There are alternatives to paying “full price” for books, like renting them, or buying them online at a much more reasonable rate. These methods should be used to avoid the bookstore by any means.

~Brandon Ferguson