You can’t buy love, but you can rent knowledge; USU Bookstore’s textbook rental experiment receives better response than last year
Students may soon be able to rent textbooks from the USU Bookstore if the test program continues to go well and receive support.
Janette Monson, textbook manager at the USU Bookstore, said, “Through the industry there’s been a little bit of talk about it, and we felt that by taking a title and doing it over a period of time, it could give us a better feel whether this is something viable to do.”
Last year, textbook renting was offered for a few specific classes and received little support. Some books had to be sent back. This year, however, Monson said the Bookstore has had “a much better response” and even had to order more copies.
“I think it’s a really good idea,” said Amanda Croasdell, a sophomore majoring in chemistry. “Science books are really expensive, and people are a lot more likely to still get the textbook if they can rent it, as opposed to students who can’t afford the textbook at all and then have a hard time in class.”
Monson said the cost to rent a textbook depends on how much a new copy costs. One of the tester books, an introductory biology book, is sold for $129.35 new but can currently be rented at the Bookstore for $28.75 a semester.
One thing Monson said renters should be aware of are personal study methods. For example, if a student likes to highlight in their textbooks, renting is probably not a good choice, as the Bookstore has requested no highlighting or marking in the book, Monson said.
Another thing to note is that damaged books will not be returnable, and the renter will have to pay the full price for the book, Monson said.
There are also complications on the Bookstore’s end, she said.
“We’ve got to track where every book is going,” Monson said. “It takes additional time at the cash register because each textbook renter has to sign a form saying that they agree to the textbook rental process, and at the end of the term the books have to be handed in and accounted for. Anybody who has not returned their rental book, we have to try and collect that from them.”
Monson said the trial period will determine whether the Bookstore will pursue this method in the future because “we have to consider the financial outlook and the cost of the book to start with. Will the Bookstore be able to recoup the cost of the book and of how much labor is involved in it?”
The Bookstore is always looking for ways to make textbooks more affordable for students, Monson said. Another method the Bookstore is looking into currently is the idea of making e-books widely available.
There are also other sources to get textbooks, as some students purchase their books off Web sites such as Amazon.com or from used textbook stores such as Beat the Bookstore. The problem with purchasing textbooks from other sources, Monson said, is “student money then goes to those sources. By buying from the Bookstore, the money stays here at Utah State.
“We as the USU Bookstore are here to serve the students. We recognize that without the students we wouldn’t be here, and that it is our goal to provide the students with the textbooks and materials they need for their classes.”