I understand the concept behind rental companies. Twice in my adult life a tree has blown down in my backyard. I don’t own a chain saw. Experience has taught me that I will use a chain saw only rarely, but there will be a time or two when this might be necessary. Hence, I can see the value of renting something I need only rarely.
Does this fit the situation of textbooks? Here is where my opinion as an instructor and the opinions of my studies may vary. I would think it would be of value to have a required textbook available on multiple occasions. Students might suggest they use a text 3-4 times – the nights before the exams.
Students don’t really purchase textbooks. This is a fabrication they use to explain their college expenses to their parents (see the beer money ploy). The actual question is do they rent books for 4 months or is it less. I am attempting to imagine a situation in which renting a book by the month would be better than buying a book and then selling it back to the bookstore. What sense does a monthly rental fee make? I can see a monthly rental if an instructor required multiple books and a book used in the first half of a course would be unnecessary in the last half. I can guarantee you that none of the books in the B&N ad (see above) fall into this category.
Wouldn’t it really be – rent a book for the semester (or quarter)? I assume the value of advertising a rental would be equivalent to a guaranteed buy – back. All this means is that the book company guarantees something your campus book store may not – we will buy your book back. They just call it a rental rather than a guaranteed buy back.
Now a rent by the week plan may actually be something students would go for. Why pay for a book for the 12 weeks of the semester it will not be used? It is just going to gather dust on your desk.
You do understand that the old curmudgeon is not advocating such an approach. He is just suggesting that a weekly rental would likely make some company some money.