2008 Woodie Awards
Book stores rent out textbooks via Web
Natasha Smith
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: News
MTSU students can now rent textbooks as an alternative to purchasing them.
Blue Raider Bookstore of Greenland Drive and Beat The Bookstore of Middle Tennessee Boulevard have partnered with mybookhead.com to offer three-day textbook rentals to students.
MTSU alumni Stephen Watkins and Ronald Atkins developed mybookhead.com in hopes of helping to curb the financial stress college students have when purchasing textbooks each semester.
"It's not a substitute to buying, but in some instances a class might not require the use of a textbook all the time and it is just a waste of money," Watkins said.
The rental service allows students to rent textbooks and use them when needed, Watkins said, instead of paying full price and not getting their money's worth from a book they hardly use.
Students looking to rent textbooks from mybookhead.com can go on the Web site and sign up to see if the book they need is available at either of the two bookstores. The student may reserve the book by debit or credit card and pick it up within 24 hours at the chosen location.
"It's almost like Expedia or Orbitz where you get to choose which place will offer a better price," Watkins said.
If the textbook the student needs is not available online, they may also try to contact the bookstore or walk in and rent books. Textbook rentals usually cost between 5 and 20 percent of the retail value of the book.
Books that are not returned within the three-day rental agreement are automatically charged for another rental period. Students that rent books will either get used or new books depending on what is available, but the rental price will remain the same regardless of the condition of the book.
Arkansas State and Georgia State University have also partnered with mybookhead.com since the Web site began in January. So far, 105 books have been rented, with 60 to 70 of those from MTSU students, Watkins said.
The difference between mybookhead.com and other textbook rental services is that other sites are strictly online, meaning students have to wait for the book to be shipped to them before they can use it.
Blue Raider Bookstore of Greenland Drive and Beat The Bookstore of Middle Tennessee Boulevard have partnered with mybookhead.com to offer three-day textbook rentals to students.
MTSU alumni Stephen Watkins and Ronald Atkins developed mybookhead.com in hopes of helping to curb the financial stress college students have when purchasing textbooks each semester.
"It's not a substitute to buying, but in some instances a class might not require the use of a textbook all the time and it is just a waste of money," Watkins said.
The rental service allows students to rent textbooks and use them when needed, Watkins said, instead of paying full price and not getting their money's worth from a book they hardly use.
Students looking to rent textbooks from mybookhead.com can go on the Web site and sign up to see if the book they need is available at either of the two bookstores. The student may reserve the book by debit or credit card and pick it up within 24 hours at the chosen location.
"It's almost like Expedia or Orbitz where you get to choose which place will offer a better price," Watkins said.
If the textbook the student needs is not available online, they may also try to contact the bookstore or walk in and rent books. Textbook rentals usually cost between 5 and 20 percent of the retail value of the book.
Books that are not returned within the three-day rental agreement are automatically charged for another rental period. Students that rent books will either get used or new books depending on what is available, but the rental price will remain the same regardless of the condition of the book.
Arkansas State and Georgia State University have also partnered with mybookhead.com since the Web site began in January. So far, 105 books have been rented, with 60 to 70 of those from MTSU students, Watkins said.
The difference between mybookhead.com and other textbook rental services is that other sites are strictly online, meaning students have to wait for the book to be shipped to them before they can use it.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Amber
posted 5/01/08 @ 3:04 PM CST
I'd like to go on record to say that Blue Raider Bookstore has rented out 55 copies to MTSU students, at this point! We at Blue Raider Bookstore are really trying to combat the increased textbook prices by partnering with mybookhead. (Continued…)
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