Editorial: Textbook ad campaign

Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006 | 7:35 a.m.

Advertisements hit the books as a way to make college texts free to students

A small Minnesota publishing company is shaking up the college textbook industry by selling advertising space inside its texts, which allows students to download and print out the books for free.

According to a story by the Associated Press, the company Freeload offers mostly texts for business classes because business professors more readily accept the practice of advertising that professors in other disciplines often consider undignified.

The average student spends about $900 a year on books - if he or she buys them all. AP cited one study that shows 65 percent of students don't buy all of their required books. While Freeload books aren't totally free, as students must still provide the paper, ink and printer on which to print them, they are cheaper than conventional texts that can cost as much as $150.

Freeload texts don't advertise alcohol or tobacco products and Freeload allows colleges to set standards for what types of ads would be allowed for their students. With the rising costs of books, this trend may be an unfortunate reality for a generation of young people who have been bombarded by advertising and product placement since they were toddlers.

We hope that if this trend continues, it does not expand into the texts used by students in elementary, middle and high school. Our children are the objects of too much marketing already. American history lessons shouldn't be accompanied by soda pop ads.