Students could be paying up to 80 percent less for textbooks if one student has his way.
Richard Sales, Undergraduate Student Government senator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said he is working with bookstore management and ASU administration to implement a textbook-rental program.
"I've seen so many students complain about high textbook prices," Sales, a political science senior, said.
Sales said he created a plan for textbook rentals based on a similar program at the University of California at Fullerton.
In the program, the bookstore would choose texts that are used repeatedly and offer them for up to 80 percent off of their original prices, Sales said.
Students would scan their Sun Cards when renting the books, and the cost would be charged to their student accounts, he said. There could also be a $20 refundable rental fee, he added.
At the end of the semester, students would return the books or their student accounts would be charged for the full amount of the text, he said.
Sales said he hopes to eventually have more than a dozen textbooks offered in the rental program, but that it could start with just one or two.
"It could be started on a small, experimental scale," he said.
Sales said he is confident the program could start soon.
"I'm hoping it could be implemented [by Fall 2006]," he said.
But James Selby, assistant director of the University Bookstore, said there is no way the program could be implemented by fall.
"We're doing research on textbook rentals," Selby said. "But there's a lot of factors that go into it."
The first factor is money, he said.
"It takes a ton of money to get the program started," Selby said. "And [the program] won't recoup for a couple of years."
Most textbook rental programs do not make enough money to continue because many students do not return books, or they return books damaged, he said.
"The upkeep is tremendous," he added.
Another factor is that many instructors order new versions of the textbooks they use in class each year, Selby said.
The deans of colleges and course instructors also need to be involved in choosing the rental books, he said.
"We're just starting the process," he said. "It's a long shot."
English literature junior Heather Hanssard said she spends about $300 per semester on textbooks at the ASU Bookstore and thinks a rental program would be a good idea.
"It seems like a good idea for students," she said. "But a bad idea for the bookstore."
Chuck Kissel, director of Titan Shops - the official bookstore of UC Fullerton - said the store offers 11 of their more than 3,000 texts for rent.
"It works well with the students," Kissel said. "But it does take away from sales."
Sales said the student senate would vote on his proposal Tuesday. If the senate backs the proposal, USG would help research the program and form a student committee to implement it, Sales said.
If USG does not approve the proposal, Sales said he would pursue the issue alone.
Reach the reporter at tara.brite@asu.edu.
