Publishers want their say.

• Author: Hildebrand, Bruce
• Position: LETTERS - Letter to the editor

Dear Editor:

I was genuinely excited about NCSL weighing in on the ongoing textbook debate but, after reading the article in the February issue, I have some serious concerns. Price is important but the price issue without sufficient context does not provide the basis for well-reasoned policy.

As the article noted, textbook legislation has been introduced in numerous states and passed in 10. While the preface language in many of these bills, and the political and media rhetoric surrounding them talk about reducing "textbook prices" and "textbook costs," the reality is that the legislation that has passed focuses on transparency of information relating to product prices and options. Transparency is something publishers whole-heartedly support; it is good for students and faculty and critical to publishers.

The goal of somehow legislating the prices of textbooks is, however, a very different matter. Textbooks and related course materials are a form of media and, as such, have equal or greater constitutional protections as newspapers and magazines. Other important policy issues we continually focus on in our discussions with legislators...