Textbook Bundling & Customization: Is There Value?

Testimonials

The following are excerpts from actual correspondence between university professors and bookstore managers.

From (bookstore manager)
To: (professor)

Hello ______, my name is ______, and I'm the manager of ______ Bookstore. I wanted to clarify your Spring term book order of Mash - Abnormal Child Psychology. You have ordered a package, containing an additional book. Will the additional book be required reading for the students?

Publishers are doing so much of this packaging these days to sell new textbooks that often students are being forced to buy new textbooks with non-necessary books included. These bundles don't allow students to purchase cheaper used textbooks, or sell back to the bookstore the book they already have. I am not trying to influence textbook decisions, and will gladly order this package for your students. I just want to make sure it really is required.

Thanks for your time.
______
______ Bookstore

From: (professor)
To: (bookstore manager)
In response to above:

Thanks ______. I had not thought of these issues. My students had asked about the possibility of case studies to supplement their reading, so I thought this was a good idea. I do not think I will require it. I just wanted to give students the option of more in-depth material if they wanted it. But I did not think of the possibility they'd want to buy a cheaper used textbook or sell back at the end of the semester. In light of that, can you change the order to just the textbook, without the case book?

Thanks, ______