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Size / Weight of Textbooks

Overweight BackPack Phenomena (PDF)

Considerable attention has been given in the media recently to the problem of schoolchildren suffering back pain and potential spinal injury as the result of carrying around overloaded backpacks. Legislation has been passed in two states (California and Tennessee) which would impose limits on the weight of textbooks and at several other states have seen legislation introduced intended to addres this problem. Report to the Advisory Committee for Texbook Specifications Analysis of the Overweight Backpack Phenomena (updated Summer 2003)

"The books weigh too much"! (PDF)

"The books don't cover content in depth -- they are a mile wide and an inch deep"! These two criticisms are frequently leveled at educational publishers and are closely tied to one another. We can't talk about one without the other. In March, 2001 a Summit on the Size and Weight of Textbooks was held in conjunction with the Winter NASTA meeting. This paper (PDF) discusses a number of factors that conotribute to the size and weight of textbooks.

For more information contact:

Jay Diskey
Email: jdiskey@publishers.org