Beginning next fall, the three major textbook sellers on Court Street will offer students the option of renting their schoolbooks.
Follett's University Bookstore, 63 S. Court St., and College Book Store, 50 S. Court St., will begin offering the rentals next year; Specialty Books, 5 N. Court St. already does.
By renting textbooks, students receive upfront savings of at least 50 percent off the price of a new book as long as the book is returned on time at the end of the quarter, Elio DiStaola, a spokesman for the Follett Higher Education Group, said.
The Follett Corporation tested the concept of renting textbooks in the fall of 2009 at seven universities in the United States. At these seven universities, students saved more than $2 million by renting textbooks, DiStaola said.
Still, some students said they could find their books cheaper online.
I get my books from Amazon and sell them back to Specialty Books
said Caitlin Hogan, a sophomore studying cellular molecular biology, adding that last quarter she made a profit.
Another student said she thinks renting textbooks will save her money.
I think the idea of renting is a good thing even if you can't sell it back you're still getting more out of your money said Rachel Swalin, a freshman studying journalism.
DiStaola explained that although Follett's does offer a 50 percent buyback policy, it cannot always guarantee students a full 50 percent when they sell their books back because buyback value is driven by the demand of the next quarter.
Robert Barber, the Athens store manager of Specialty Books, a national chain, said that giving students the option to rent textbooks has positively affected business this year. Barber said that about 1,000 students per quarter have rented books, but he didn't know how many people total had bought books from the store.
Barber said despite the advantages of renting books, the rental option is still a minority. Not every book can be rented depending on factors such as the lifespan of the book and if the book can be resold.
College Book Store will offer students an option of renting textbooks in the fall as well. Mike Fitterer, manager of College Book Store, said the store also will offer better than 50 percent off the price of a new book, but he said he is unsure of what books will be available to rent. Because College Book Store is a private company, the store has to build its rental system from the ground up, he said.
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Rachel Snively
