As the line of students winding through the BookMarq filters through checkout, visible sticker shock registers on the faces of more than a few buyers. Walking away from the bookstore with a heavy backpack and a light wallet is one back-to-school tradition many students might prefer to skip.

How does a textbook get from a publisher to a Marquette classroom? How does a biology book end up costing more than an iPod when you buy it and less than a pizza when you sell it back? As the fall semester kicks off, the Tribune headed to local bookstores to read between the lines.

Stocking the shelves

According to Todd Vicker, executive director of the Alumni Memorial Union and auxiliary services, instructors select the book lists for their courses. Instructors also decide when it's time to begin using a new edition of a textbook, he said in an e-mail.

The university leases the space for the BookMarq to Follett College Bookstores, Vicker said. Instructors submit book lists and enrollment information to the store. The number of books ordered "is based on expected enrollment and historical sales information for each class," he said.

The number of copies of a given book purchased from a publisher depends on how well the book is expected to sell, according to a Follett newsletter. Out-of-stock publishers, unexpectedly high enrollment and miscommunication with instructors can all cause shortages on shelves.

Pricing and buyback

According to a Follett newsletter on textbook pricing, "textbooks cost more than general reading books because they are far more complex to create and publish."

Small press runs, extensive use of color graphics, quality of materials and copyright licensing fees all contribute to textbook costs, according to Follett.

According to a 2003 report from the National Association of College Stores, the biggest portion of money spent on new textbooks — about 65 percent — goes to the publisher.

About 22 percent of the money goes to the bookstore, according to the report. Bookstore profits account for about 4.5 percent of a textbook's cost.

A book's buyback value depends on whether an instructor has tabbed it for re-use, Vicker said. If they have, BookMarq will buy the book back for half the retail price, he said. If not, books are resold to wholesalers, and buyback value drops substantially.

Other options

A number of students shop around online for their textbooks, hoping sellers on Amazon.com and other independent sites can beat bookstore prices.

College of Arts & Sciences junior Katie Sukalich said she bought a number of books this semester from Amazon.com sellers. Most of them were shipped promptly, she said, but one has yet to arrive, even though she ordered it well over a month ago.

"That's the downside of buying on the Internet," Sukalich said, who is now short a book midway through her first week of classes.

She said she also shops at Sweeney's College Books, where textbooks are typically a few dollars cheaper than the BookMarq's.

Some items, particularly course guides and packets printed specifically for Marquette, may not be available at Sweeney's.

Some professors also make textbooks available on reserve in Raynor Library. Christine Pivonka, reserve supervisor for the library, estimated that textbooks are on reserve for 20 percent of courses.

"There are some (instructors) who do it religiously every semester for their class," Pivonka said, adding that others put textbooks on reserve if they have students who cannot afford the books.

She said in most cases, only one or two textbooks are put on reserve for a class. Materials on reserve cannot be checked out or removed from the library.

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