2008 Woodie Awards
Textbook rental programs:
Should PSU sign up?
Tonya Tomory
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: Front Page
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At the Faculty Senate meeting on Monday, Feb. 25, Steve Scott, vice president for academic affairs, asked faculty members to study the idea of a textbook rental program at PSU.
According to the minutes from the meeting, Scott encouraged the Senate members to speak with others at conferences they will be attending in the next few months about their thoughts on textbook rentals.
Not so simple
However, Steve Erwin, vice president for campus life and auxiliary services, says PSU will not be considering a textbook rental program any time soon.
"It's not a simple matter," Erwin said. "It would take a great deal of research to move in such a direction."
Erwin says reasons for not giving serious consideration to the matter include costs involved for larger book inventories and space.
But what do students think?
Students and staff interviewed at Missouri Southern State University, which has rented textbooks to students since 1967, had largely positive things to say about the school's textbook rental program.
MSSU's program
Greg Needham, MSSU Bookstore manager, says that the book rental program is an asset to MSSU.
Needham says having a book rental program is similar to checking books out from the library. MSSU students pay $7 per credit hour for book rentals.
For a student taking 15 hours of classes, book rentals would cost them $105.
"It saves you money," Needham said. "You don't have the hassle of selling them back."
MSSU's book rental program does have restrictions: Departmental faculty members must commit to use a textbook for three years, and students are required to have tuition and fees paid before they are eligible to rent books. Any lost or damaged books are the responsibility of the student to reimburse.
Needham says MSSU does not make much profit from the book rentals. Each year, the school nearly breaks even on the number of new textbooks they purchase and the amount of rental money collected from the students.
Needham says MSSU's book rental program helps ease students' financial woes.
"As tuition goes up, anything that can help is good," Needham said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 7
Allen Dunn
posted 4/10/08 @ 3:11 PM CST
I once participated in KSC's (now PSU) book rental program back in 1962, shortly before it was scrapped. If I recall correctly, my 1962 Fall semester fees were $108; $96 for tuition, student activity ID card and other incidental charges. (Continued…)
Gavin
posted 4/15/08 @ 10:59 AM CST
You have to realize how much money is made by the bookstores and how much power they have. This will largely prevent any real competition in terms of rental programs. (Continued…)
Daniele
posted 4/18/08 @ 1:09 PM CST
Renting is a stopgap measure for the real problem, which is exorbitant prices for books, particularly ones that have unnecessary content, such as CDs and online stuff. (Continued…)
David Slatton
posted 4/24/08 @ 3:03 PM CST
Don't let the powers that be fool you. Book rental is not that hard of a system to set up. I rented my books at Missouri Southern and never spent more than $90. (Continued…)
Beth Gabern
posted 4/24/08 @ 6:11 PM CST
What some people do not realize is that some students actually like to keep their books. As a future teacher I find a lot of my books will be important once I begin working. (Continued…)
Cordelia Sykes
posted 4/25/08 @ 3:29 PM CST
Like Ms. Gabern, not only do I like to hold onto some of my books (and I mean "some"), I also like to write (or highlight) in my books (even if I do ultimately decide that I'd rather not look at it anymore). (Continued…)
observer
posted 4/25/08 @ 9:27 PM CST
Schools themselves shouldn't invest in textbook rentals. There are plenty of services online that solve this problem for you:
(1) Chegg.com
(2) Bookrenter. (Continued…)
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