 Students line up to receive their books before beginning class. Photo by Madeline Tiani | The Appalachian Online rental textbook companies operate by students first finding the textbook they want on the website, paying the rental and shipping fee, and receiving the book in the mail. When the student is finished with the book at the end of their rental period, which can be for 60 days, by quarter, or by semester, they mail the textbook back.
Though Appalachian State University already employs a textbook rental program, students on campus could use a service like chegg.com during the summer, whenstudents have to buy their books, or during the traditional academic year for supplemental readings.
By renting textbooks to students and having them reused every semester, chegg.com is helping to reduce environmental ramifications of textbook production. Working to be as environmentally-friendly as possible, chegg.com plants one tree for every rental that is made on their website, according to the site.
Katherine M. Obermeyer, a senior communications and history major, has never used a service like chegg. com.
“I would be more interested in it if we could rent books from there that we would normally have to buy for our classes,” Obermeyer said.
Though online rental systems may be a beneficial opportunity for students, it is yet to be seen what effect these programs will have on university bookstores.
Michael G. Coston, director of the bookstore at Appalachian, thinks because Appalachian’s textbook rental program is unique from those of other universities, there is “not really an impact” on Appalachian’s bookstore’s business.
Coston also said he cautions students to check the fine print and terms of service of textbook rental websites. Sometimes the cost of not returning your rented textbooks on time is more than the cost of buying them outright.
“No matter what, they need to be careful when they’re renting,” Coston said.
Story: MICHELLE YOW, Intern News Reporter
Photo: MADELINE TIANI, Intern Photographer |
