A group of educators suggests it has found the solution to combat increasing textbook prices, and Fresno State will showcase the team’s initiative as part of the university’s Open Education Week this week.

OpenStax College, a nonprofit organization founded by a research team at Rice University in Houston, will offer copies of its free or low-cost textbooks to 13 California State University system libraries for the spring semester.

Spokesman Brian Lucero said this massive showcase is designed to persuade professors to implement OpenStax textbooks in their courses, which could save CSU students millions of dollars.

According to the OpenStax website, each book was written and peer-reviewed by educators to ensure that it is clear, accurate and covers the full scope of the associated course.

The nonprofit, which operates through philanthropic investments from large organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, offers 15 textbooks in the mathematics, science and social science fields.

Lori Clune, who teaches U.S. history at Fresno State, said she already uses an inexpensive textbook but will listen to alternative pitches.

“I am open to exploring other options, but it would depend on the author and quality of the scholarship,” she said.

If professors choose to implement OpenStax textbooks, the savings to Fresno State students could be enormous.

For example, the textbook for Fresno State’s spring semester Principles of Sociology course, or Soc 1, is “Mastering Sociology.” The Fresno State Kennel Bookstore charges $118.75 for a new copy of this book, $89.25 for a used copy, $80.15 for a new rental and $60.85 for a used rental.

The Kennel website notes that all used copies of this book are currently out of stock, which means any students wishing to buy the book now must pay new prices.

The OpenStax College alternative to “Mastering Sociology,” “Intro to Sociology,” is offered in several formats. A portable document format (PDF) version is available for free online, and a tablet-friendly version is for sale in the book section of iTunes for $4.99. Lucero said the book can also be purchased by university bookstores for the cost of printing each copy.

Some students choose third-party websites such as Amazon for their textbook needs. The cheapest copy of “Mastering Sociology” on Amazon was $76 as of Wednesday, while the most inexpensive copy of “Intro to Sociology” was about $25.

The OpenStax website also provides teachers with a collection of tests, PowerPoint slides and a sample syllabus for each of its textbooks.

Lucero said that this combination of free e-versions and cheap print editions of universal textbooks has saved students more than $30 million worldwide. Instructors have adopted OpenStax College textbooks in more than 1,100 courses around the globe in the past two years, he added.

Vang Vang, instructional technology librarian at the Henry Madden Library, said Fresno State’s OpenStax display will be up this week for Open Education Week, which will showcase a number of financial alternatives for students and faculty. The library plans to host a public kick off event for the week from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

When asked about her experiences with the Kennel Bookstore, journalism student Thea Napolitano called it “inconvenient and overpriced.” She wouldn’t make use of free online alternatives, saying she preferred to hold an actual book and feel real paper when studying.

Napolitano said paying half price for any book — even if it’s older or of a lesser quality — is worth it.

“[The book] can still get the right point across,” she said. “A different form can teach the same concepts.”