My School in the Paper

[Magpie]

I'm disgusted. They're starting a book rental programme. Ok, great, some people are trying to make it through school without loans, because if they took a loan they would then spend too much to pay it back before interest got charged. Or else their parents make too much to be eligible for OSAP, and they aren't helping the kids. I understand why some people need an option that requires less money on the table. That isn't the sighting.

What is a sighting is that the university is trying to claim that this will actually save students money. Unless they're renting out course notes (or maybe in some Arts courses, where no one will ever use the book again), that's a flat out lie. I will be very disturbed if Engineering and Math textbooks are included in this, because it means that the university would be trying to take advantage of the fact that a lot of students don't know about the one-term loans offered by the university, and it suggests that the administration is trying to get out of making those loans.

The numbers that have me so upset: the books will cost 45 to 60% of the full price of the textbooks! And this is being spun as saving money!

[Sparky]

I'm confused. Textbook costs $100. Textbook rental costs $60. Isn't this saving money? Not saving a huge amount of money true, but doesn't every little bit help?

I don't mean to be impolite, but I really don't understand the problem. Or are you angry because the school is trying to sell this as a bigger benefit than it is?

[Whiskey]

I'm confused. Textbook costs $100. Textbook rental costs $60. Isn't this saving money? Not saving a huge amount of money true, but doesn't every little bit help?

I don't mean to be impolite, but I really don't understand the problem. Or are you angry because the school is trying to sell this as a bigger benefit than it is?

This is my question too. I'll be renting my text books (for much cheaper than you schools percentages, though), but any cut in price is a cut for me. I'd rather pay 60% of a textbook price than take out a loan thatll charge interest. And for someone like me (using sparky's analogy) 40$ is damn near two weeks worth of food that I could use.

[Magpie]

Text book costs $100
Text book rental costs $60

But if you rent you don't get to keep the book. If you're not keeping the book anyhow, take it to the used bookstore. Used bookstore sells it for $80. You get 85% of that, so your total cost of the book was $100 - 0.85*$80 = $32.

Yes, you have to pay the $100 upfront, but the catch here is that there is no mandatory wait for Ontario student loans. You can pay it all back during your grace period after you graduate, before you pay any interest. (Presumably you can pay it off at the end of the term when you get your first paycheque).

[Whiskey]

Canada.

My school (US) barely ever uses the same text twice for a course (because Algebra totally changed completely from last semester ) so renting is one of the better options here. You'd be lucky to get 20% back from my book store.

[jjc927]

I rent when the book is very expensive and I usually get to save about $100 on the cost. If I were to sell the book back at the end of the semester, I'd be getting like $20 back on a $150 book. So it's definitely worth it IMO.

and FWIW, I have never taken a loan.

[Whiskey]

^ ditto. I'm saving 200$


Is canada still looking for worthless student immigrants with these awesome book rates?

[Magpie]

Canada.

My school (US) barely ever uses the same text twice for a course (because Algebra totally changed completely from last semester ) so renting is one of the better options here. You'd be lucky to get 20% back from my book store.

Wait, they offer rentals on books that aren't used more than once? Maybe I'm being overly cynical then.

Is canada still looking for worthless student immigrants with these awesome book rates?

It only works if you're in a technical field. The "print on demand", where they give you only the parts of the book you need may save you money, but there's no guarantee you'll be able to sell it again (and the only time I had it offered I paid the extra 50% to have a proper book). And for Arts courses it's normally a course pack that you need, and you can't re-sell those.

[Whiskey]

Wait, they offer rentals on books that aren't used more than once? Maybe I'm being overly cynical then.

Some books they use for two semesters, MAYBE three. But the publishers want money, so it doesnt last past three semesters. If it gets through two semesters its a miracle. They're really trying to halt the used textbook trade.

[Magpie]

Some books they use for two semesters, MAYBE three. But the publishers want money, so it doesnt last past three semesters. If it gets through two semesters its a miracle. They're really trying to halt the used textbook trade.

If they can get away with switching the text (it's discouraged because then students can't sell the old ones) profs tend to select books that don't reprint that often. They will alternatively have lists of problems for the last three or four editions, or else just make problems and assign them, not worrying about the text at all. The profs can conspire to undermine the publishers' attempts to be jackasses.

[Whiskey]

Some profs at my school do that, but they still have to list a text as required. Theres some kind of intertwining that requires them to list certain editions as required, etc. So if 50% of a class buy the "required" book before class, how much profit is that?

Its really warped.

[Sapphire Silk]

The markup on text books is horrible: 50% or more in some cases. Authors are sometimes paid only a few hundred dollars for writing a single chapter.

The publishers reprint a "new" edition every couple of years that usually has cosmetic changes. The OB text I've used has this issue. I really couldn't find any change between the 6th and 7th editions, so when the text switched out mid year, a lot of students were stuck with the old edition they'd bought from previous students in the program. Rather than insist they buy the current text, I told them I'd accept either edition.

Most "products" from the text book publishers are highly over priced and of dubious value. The publisher "reps" are salesmen who often use high pressure tactics to try and convince textbook committees to adopt their books. Sometimes they use "bundling", where the student has to buy a package of associated text books for a "lower" price than they'd pay for the books individually. However, if the professor doesn't take full advantage of the text, workbooks, and clinical guides, then the students really aren't saving any money while the publishers rake in the cash.

I'll go to professional conferences, and the publishers will give me copies of free books in the hope I'll list them as "optional" references on my text book list.

Usually what I do is put it on closed reserve in the library

[Whiskey]

The markup on text books is horrible: 50% or more in some cases. Authors are sometimes paid only a few hundred dollars for writing a single chapter.

Usually what I do is put it on closed reserve in the library

Tell me when the last time algebra changed? I have to buy a FIRST EDITION of an algebra book sometime this semester.


We have a reserve, but not closed. You get 2 hours with your book. if no one wants it when you give it back you can check it out again immediately though. Its something.

[bainsidhe]

I wish we had rentals when I was still taking courses. Nothing like getting $12 buyback for that $100 sociology textbook. Just ask Lupo, she has some lovely posts about complaining students and the lack of reimbursement for textbooks. And students now have the option of Amazon and Half.com when looking for deals on textbooks. (hope I'm not dating myself...)

I agree that marketing textbook rentals in a way that makes it sound like it's only helping students gets a little annoying. You know the university is making money too.

[bankworking]

Mt finance professors were fantastic. They got together and set things up so that the same text book could be used for FOUR different finance classes. I had to take three of those courses; it was nice only having to buy the book one time. Didn't sell it back because I was using it to tutor with, though after a while, the teachers starting lending me copies of the teachers' copies of the texts (too bad I couldn't keep those).

Only text books I've ever had where I figure it was worth buying. I'd have gladly rented every other text I used. Sell-back usually only gave me maximum 40% of the used book price, IF they were buying the book back at all.