Bookstore offers on-campus rental service
The option to rent books has been available to college students for about three years, said David Parkinson, director of the USU Bookstore, but only this year can USU students rent and return their books on campus.
About 20 percent of the bookstore’s stock is rentable for one semester, Parkinson said, and though it creates a little more work to track students who do not return their books, the renting process is simple. All books are due back the Friday of finals week, he said.
“It’s nice not to have to ship the books back,” said Kassi Brandow, an undeclared freshman who rented two of her books this semester. “I think it’s worth it because with buy back you never know what you are going to get back.”
The option to access textbook rentals from various companies outside of USU is still available, Parkinson said. Many students still use these companies because they have all the textbooks students are looking for.
Brandow rented one psychology textbook for $64, which would have cost her $87 had she purchased it used. She said she saved even more on her statistics book, originally $93 but also $64 to rent.
By renting their textbooks, students can save about half of what they would pay for them, said Ashley Hilton, the textbook department manager for the USU Bookstore.
“The ones that see this option like it,” Hilton said, “but there is a learning curve.”
While ringing up students’ books, Tiffany Wild said she asks many of them if they are interested in renting the textbooks with that option available. Wild, a junior majoring in FCHD, said she estimated about half of the students who are offered the renting option decide to do it. Many students don’t understand how renting books works yet, she said.
Other textbook buyers find reason to pay full price for their literature.
“I don’t rent my books because I want to keep them,” said journalism major and senior Sean O’Sullivan. “I’ll use them as references later. If I decide I don’t want them, I’ll sell them back.”
Some of those who don’t care to keep their books when classes end appreciate the savings that renting allows, and Wild said this semester she is saving $100-$150. The uncertainty of buybacks is one reason she decided to rent all of her books.
“It’s instant gratification,” Parkinson said. “You don’t have to wait.”
All rentable textbooks are labeled with a light blue and white tag and another tag nearby depicts its rental price, Hilton said. When students are done finding their textbooks they bring them to the cash register as usual, she said, and the cashier will ask whether or not they want to rent them.
There are a few things bookstore management noticed they would like to change in the future organization of textbook rentals, Hilton said, including adding more informational signs so students are clear about their options.
“We want to increase our title list in the future,” Parkinson said.
Parkinson and his staff also want to find which faculty members use the same textbook year after year and add those titles to the rental list.
“Renting is like buyback before the semester ends,” said Madison Stone, an undeclared freshman, “but it’s not yours to mark up.”
— catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu