NewsLab

Textbooks have always put a hole in student’s pockets. Some can cost up to $300.

 CSS Students are being given a choice this semester when buying textbooks for college. The new concept of renting books is becoming more and more popular as  bookstores have recently initiated such rental programs.

The textbooks that are offered to be rented are completely dependent on the bookstore. The bookstore bases factors like the age of the book and the probability that the book will be reused again in deciding what books they offer to be rented.
The new concept of renting books has really caught some students’ interests.

“The new program is very popular. People are willing to give it a shot,” said Brad Heins, CSS interim bookstore manager. Heins thinks renting textbooks could soon be used in most colleges.

The cheapest way to get textbooks was once buying used books. Now, renting them is even cheaper.“It is the best short term way to lower textbook costs,” Heins said.                  

When renting textbooks the student pays $130-240 annually. When buying the same books the price would be $800-900 (Swift). Students can even rent them online and most vendors offer free shipping for returns.&nbs

Books can be rented monthly, quarterly, or by the semester. As a renter, there are responsibilities regarding the rental conditions, including a timely return of the book and appropriate condition.  Some books can be highlighted and written in, but some stores that rent do not allow it.

Michael Swenson, a sophomore majoring in finance, said, “I love the new concept of renting books. Before, I would pay $200 for a book that I would only use for a few months.” 

Now that Swenson can rent the book, he is saving over $100. “I would definitely do it again, and I would definitely recommend it to other students,” Swenson said.

“The positives of renting books definitely outweigh the negatives,” Heins said, noting that the main negative aspect of renting is that it requires a little more work for the bookstore to get ready and explain how the concept works. “Besides that, renting has gone smooth sailing for the CSS Bookstore, and will only become more popular."

The main thing about the new concept of renting is that it gives students options, mainly borrowing a book they will never use again and saving money.

A few years ago these options were not available, and students once had to buy the newest edition of books, which seemed to get more and more expensive. Renting textbooks could be the answer to the often devastating prices of books.

“All in all, the program has been received very well,” Heins said.