Opinion: Tackling the High Cost of Textbooks With a Lending Library

By Debra Tennison

Time to tackle the high cost of textbooks with a textbook lending library.

Grants, scholarships, and private payments pay for some college textbook costs. Not everyone can benefit from these programs. There are the  “in-betweens” or the students (or their parents) that earn above the threshold to qualify for grants or scholarships but are still struggling in our current economic climate. They are struggling with the climbing costs of college textbooks.

According to an article on Vox.com, a 2014 nationwide study done by the Public Interest Research Group found that two-thirds of surveyed students had skipped buying or renting some of their course material because they couldn’t afford them. (this number was much higher than one would think). Obviously, this would affect student grades.

A textbook lending library would fill this gap for a struggling student. Given the opportunity, some students may want to contribute or donate a textbook that is no longer needed. The lending library could be staffed with volunteers or participating students and then screen potential users regarding financial qualifications. It could work, it should work, but will it? 

A main hindrance to a lending library is that textbooks typically get updated or outdated every 2-3 years so book turnover would barely stay ahead of the new publications. Textbooks cost money to research, write, and publish so somewhere along the line there must be a transaction.

Textbook costs are set by Follet, a family owned company that operates up to 625 stores in Colleges and Universities throughout North America. The textbooks costs are based on publisher’s pricing to colleges.

SVCC’s bookstore manager, Betsy Thrasher, shared different financial options available for SVCC students of different economic demographics. Grants, scholarships, purchasing textbooks outright (new or used), renting textbooks (a more budget friendly option) and making payments through paypal on their website (to be paid in full prior to possession of the books), are all options available to students. SVCC library has a few textbooks available but only to use while in the library, but not to check out.

Once the bookstore staff receives the course/book list from the instructors, they order the books needed in the quantity projected, to ensure all students get the class material they are required to have.

There appears to be a true commitment by the friendly and helpful staff at the Follett Bookstore,  to make certain each student is able to acquire the textbooks they need for their higher education goals. Ms Thrasher stated they negotiate pricing on both rentals and new publications in order to help keep student’s textbook costs down. 

A textbook lending library is an attractive alternative to traditional book purchases and deserves a second look.