Prices of Two Sourcebooks Hit $90

The first question asked in Moral Reasoning 52, "Property Rights: Morals and Law," might fall a little closer to home than controversial issues like surrogate motherhood or abortion.

The big topic for discussion could well be that course's own sourcebook" Students must pay $90 for the right to own it.

And it's possible that International Conflicts have started over little more than the $91 students must pay for Historical Study A-12's sourcebook.

In fact, the only more expensive item on the Science Center lists in the $100 TI 85 calculator required by some mathematics courses.

Students in the Science Center basement lines were surprised at the exorbitant costs.

"It's slightly nuts," said Liz B. Chen '96, as she perused the A-12 book's two volumes, each roughly the size of a Boston area Nynex White Pages, for some time before purchasing them.

Jim S. Goldman '96, waiting in line for the same books, suggested that the cost be subsidized. "It's too expensive," he said.

Despite their grumblings, however, students are not necessarily deterred by the high prices. Historical study A-12 had an enrollment of 595 when it was offered last spring. Moral reasoning 52 is a new course in the Core.

Students are not the only ones amazed by sourcebook costs.

"I think it [costs] a lot. I am surprised," said Assistant Professor of Government J. Lawrence Broz, who will teach Historical study A-12 this term with Stanley Hoffman, Dillon professor of the civilization of France.

Broz said he had updated and revamped the course's sourcebook according to his and Professor Hoffman's views of the world. Inadvertently, he said, that raised its price.

Professor of Law Frank I. Michelman, who is teaching Moral Reasoning 52, also said that he was "not really thrilled" by the $90 charge for his course's sourcebook.

Susan W. Lewis, director of the Core program, said copyright fees are largely responsible for the price increases.

"Since publishers won in the suit against Kinko's, [the photocopying company], copyright fees have increaseddramatically," She said.

University attorney Allen A. Ryan Jr., whohandles copyright law matters for Harvard, saidthe laws do not permit "materials to be reproducedfor classroom use without the permission of thecopyright holder."

Publishers, he said, could charge as much asthey chose to, from a few pennies per article to$5 per chapter reproduced. "There's no standardfee," he said.

William G. Witt, copyright officer in theoffice of Sourcebook Publications, said that therelative breakdown of cost per sourcebook is "50percent copyright fees and 50 percent reproductioncosts."

Director of the Science Center Noni C. Strausssaid that the sale of sourcebook "is non-profit"for the Science Center. "We just tell them,"she said.

On top of their high prices, Core sourcebooksare non-returnable. "The Core Office has to recoupcosts somehow," Strauss said.

Sourcebooks unsold by the end of the semesterare profits lost. "I think we shred them," Lewissaid

University attorney Allen A. Ryan Jr., whohandles copyright law matters for Harvard, saidthe laws do not permit "materials to be reproducedfor classroom use without the permission of thecopyright holder."

Publishers, he said, could charge as much asthey chose to, from a few pennies per article to$5 per chapter reproduced. "There's no standardfee," he said.

William G. Witt, copyright officer in theoffice of Sourcebook Publications, said that therelative breakdown of cost per sourcebook is "50percent copyright fees and 50 percent reproductioncosts."

Director of the Science Center Noni C. Strausssaid that the sale of sourcebook "is non-profit"for the Science Center. "We just tell them,"she said.

On top of their high prices, Core sourcebooksare non-returnable. "The Core Office has to recoupcosts somehow," Strauss said.

Sourcebooks unsold by the end of the semesterare profits lost. "I think we shred them," Lewissaid