On-Campus Textbook Rental Arrives at Six Colleges in Michigan

College textbook rental is not a new concept. The premise of textbook rental involves a student ordering the book from an online textbook rental Web site such as Chegg.com or Bookrenter.com, waiting for the book to arrive, and returning the book a set number of days later.

The concept has helped save students money, but one of the biggest pitfalls of this process is that quite often supplemental materials, CDs, or other manuals may be missing from a rented book. A second problem is the edition that a professor requires may not match what is listed on the textbook rental website. Because of these inconsistencies and not being able to see the book before purchasing, some college students pause before renting textbooks in this manner.

A solution has been created for this problem, however, by a company called Rent-a-Text.com. The company just began in 2009 and promotes on campus college textbook rentals instead of through the mail. They work along with college or universities to supply rental books at the college bookstores. This allows students to accurately receive supplemental materials as each professor requires for their course. It also prevents the wait time for books to arrive in the mail and saves students the cost of shipping.

Which colleges in Michigan will offer campus textbook rental? The selection is currently limited as it is an emerging market. However, as of the fall, 2010, the following colleges will be offering college textbook rentals in their campus bookstores. The address of the bookstore is provided as well as the phone number for each in case students wish to learn more about the textbook rental program:

1. Jackson Community College, 2111 Emmons Rd., Jackson, MI 49201 Phone: (517) 796-8440
2. Bay de Noc Community College, 2001 North Lincoln Rd., Escanaba, MI 49829 Phone: (906) 786-5802 ext 1179
3. Grand Rapids Community College, 122 Lyon Street N.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Phone: (616) 234-3880
4. Macomb Community College - Center, 44575 Garfield Road, Clinton Township, MI 48038-1139 Phone: (586) 285-2093
5. Macomb Community College - South, 14500 East 12 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48088-3870 Phone: (586) 445-7306
6. Mott Community College, 1401 East Court Street, Flint, MI 48503-6208 Phone: (810) 762-5603

By offering textbook rental programs, colleges will no longer need to hassle with book buy-backs. Also, students can rent the book for a condensed course that is only a few weeks long rather than paying full price for an entire semester. The possibilities are endless through textbook rental opportunities. Perhaps in the future students will be able to rent e-books. Wouldn't that be nice?

What do you think of the textbook rental concept? Have you ever rented a textbook? Please leave a comment below.

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