Miguel:
ASU has had a textbook rental system since 1938. The current fee
is $105 per semester.
The system works in the following fashion. One textbook per
course is designated as the rental textbook. Other, supplemental
books must be purchased. Paperbacks are exempt from the system.
Strangely, the system is not in operation during summer
sessions (and students howl at the cost of textbooks during the
summer).
You identified what I had considered a major problem, the
accumulation of a library of reference books to be used in
reviewing topics for papers, presentations, etc.
However I am not so sure that this is as much of a problem, now.
So much material is available on the web. The quality of much of
it is suspect, and you need to work with students to teach them
danger signs. But for many non-controversial topics, the web is
a pretty good source.
The main problem with relying on the web is that even trustworthy
info is presented in such isolated fragments. A good book can
bring all that info together into a useful whole.
Ken
---------------------------------------------------------------
Kenneth M. Steele, Ph.D. [email protected]
Professor and Assistant Chairperson
Department of Psychology http://www.psych.appstate.edu
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
USA
---------------------------------------------------------------
[email protected] wrote:
Today I was somewhat surprised when a NY City metro area university that
I shall not identify here announced that their campus' bookstores, which
are operated by a private entity, are going to start offering textbook
rental services starting this Fall. Presumaby, the rentals will result
in "upwards of 50 percent off new textbook prices". In addition -and I
thought this was interesting- the program allows students to highlight
the textbooks and take notes throughout the text. And just like a leased
car, the student can also buy the textbook at the end of the term.
I said that I was somewhat surprised because although I am one of those
who feels that textbooks have become overpriced, and because I recognize
that some students who buy their textbooks (a few others seem not to
even bother purchasing them) end up getting rid of their books at the
first opportunity, I feel this rental program undermines the real
purpose of a college education. At the same time I think that textbook
renting perpetuates a business/consumer approach to learning. This sort
of thing just does not feel right to me.
Out mere curiosity, do any of you know of institutions which have a
similar textbook rental program?
Miguel
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