A textbook rental program added this semester at Follett’s Orange Bookstore on Marshall Street has proven to be a popular option among students, said Elio DiStaola, the director of public and campus relations for Follett Higher Education Group.

Follett’s began renting textbooks this fall after announcing the Rent-A-Text program last April. The program provides students with the option of renting a new or used textbook for an academic semester instead of buying it. At the end of the semester, students return the book to the bookstore, according to the Rent-A-Text website.

With over 800 titles currently available for rent at Follett’s, DiStaola said it is too early to provide any statistics on how many books have actually been rented so far. But DiStaola said the rental program has been very popular and has received positive feedback.

‘Throughout our pilot program and the early stages of the national rollout, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,’ DiStaola said. ‘The most refreshing feedback being directly from students and parents for making school more affordable.’

Syracuse’s Follett’s is now one of more than 700 Follett’s bookstores offering Rent-A-Text. DiStaola said the company expects to bring huge savings to students on a national level. Books available for rent in Follett’s include history, French, economics and psychology books.

Many students also use other textbook rental services, such as Chegg.com.

To rent textbooks, students must be 18 years old or older and have a valid credit card, e-mail address and state-issued ID, according to the Rent-A-Text website. Students also fill out a rental agreement, stating they agree to return the books by the date listed. The rental period lasts for a whole semester and should carry students through finals, according to the Rent-A-Text website.

Fifteen percent of college students do not purchase textbooks, and the average cost of required materials in one year is $667, according to The National Association of College Stores’ Retail Facts and Figures 2010. With Rent-A-Text, students can save 50 percent or more on the nation’s most popular textbooks, according to the Rent-A-Text fact sheet.

But not all students are comfortable renting books. Emily Ho, a first-year graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she prefers to buy her books.

‘I don’t use a lot of actual textbooks,’ Ho said. ‘I mainly use smaller books and I mark them up and write in them too much to rent them, so I just buy them.’

The Rent-A-Text program at Follett’s does allow for some light writing and highlighting in the books, according to the Rent-A-Text website. The program also allows students to purchase their books at the end of the semester, if they decide they would like to keep the books.

Ariana Reed, a junior biochemistry major, said she prefers to rent her textbooks because when she tries to sell back textbooks at the end of a semester, she gets a lot less than what she paid for.

‘I would consider renting my textbooks from Follett’s if they have them available,’ Reed said. ‘I normally get them from Chegg.com, but I would definitely consider renting my textbooks here if they were cheaper.’

medelane@syr.edu

 

Published on September 6, 2010 at 12:00 pm