Renting vs Owning Textbooks
The question of buying vs. renting has been trending, especially with the advent of the “as a service” (AAS) business model. Some might assume this model only pertains to things like houses or cars, but books and movies have also been offered for lease for a very long time (in the case of books, since the very first libraries!)
That said, if you’re undecided on whether to own or rent a textbook, you’ve come to the right place. Stick around as we’ll walk you through the advantages and disadvantages of reaching each decision.
Pros of Buying a Textbook (and Cons of Renting)
You could understandably be concerned that buying a book would knock out your tight budget. However, when taking into account all the benefits of owning the book long-term, you might prefer to cope with these short-term hindrances.
Without further ado, let’s dive right into the first benefit of buying a textbook, which is:
1. The Book is Yours!
This one is quite obvious! This means that the copy of the book you decide to purchase is free for you to use at your leisure.
Suppose you’re the kind of person who loves utilizing highlighters and inserting annotations on your book’s pages. In that case, you should probably consider this option since some book rentals have specific rules against these sorts of practices (and for good reason!) Even in the event that a textbook rental allows for highlighting and annotating, you must ensure that at least the spine is in optimal condition.
You could additionally run into trouble when lending your rented book. While it’s oftentimes permitted to do so, you are ultimately responsible for whatever happens to it under your supervision, and you could be levied some heavy replacement costs if it were to suffer damage.
Ownership of the textbook entails not worrying about these financial penalties. Hence, you decide on the policies regarding its usage (e.g., whether it can be loaned or rented to a third party).
2. You Can Sell, Donate or Even Recycle It
This goes in line with the notion of owning the copy. You have ample freedom to dispose of it as you will (within reasonable limits).
For example, if you only plan on using it for a semester or during the whole course, you could likely sell it and get some of your investment back. You may find various online platforms that accept used books for resale, though you’d possibly fare better by offering your book to individuals.
But, if you’re not interested in the income and only want to help out another person, a foundation, or even a public library or school, you can consider donating as well.
In fact, you may even so much as burn or destroy the book, though we definitely do not recommend that. Rather, if you have no use for the book or it’s damaged beyond repair, you could repurpose it to craft décor items and other useful stuff.
3. It’s Yours to Consult Anytime You Wish
Some manuals and texts outlive a course or degree and can be consulted throughout a professional’s lifetime.
That fact alone makes the prospect of owning these texts even more enticing, for you won’t know whether they may be available for rental or purchase when you need them.
What’s more, some books could go out of print, forcing you to look for used options (hoping they exist).
One specific drawback you may encounter when renting your reading material is that you might need it longer than originally intended. In that case, your chances of keeping it beyond due date will hinge upon whether the book rental admits extension requests. Some of them may ask that you pay a small surcharge.
The Pros of Renting a Textbook (and Cons of Buying)
We already hinted at some of the most significant advantages of renting a textbook instead of purchasing it. However, they bear elaborating upon.
1. It’s Less Expensive (Short-Term)
At least upfront, you may have to cope with paying a large sum of money for a one-time or installment textbook purchase. Sure, you’re often given the option to acquire a paperback, but first editions frequently come with a rigid cover, which is a costly alternative.
One way to sidestep those steep costs is by going over to the second-hand market, but you’ll likely not save as much as you’d like.
Keep in mind that these “losses” are short-term. Needless to say. If you plan on utilizing the book long-term, you may have to assess whether you’re better off buying over renting. If you only plan on reading it for one semester, renting is a far better choice in most scenarios.
2. You May Easily Return It
The good news is that you can keep a rented book to the point you can afford it or find it useful.
Textbook rentals tend to have very lenient return policies, to the point where you can give them back without having to justify the reasons. It’s as simple as going over to the clerk with your book in hand or shipping it and notifying the rental platform.
Of course, there’s no “returning” a textbook when you own it, which is not necessarily a “good” thing at times. This segues us to our next point, which is:
3. You’ll Only Have It When You Need It
Some people are not overly enthusiastic about collecting stuff (specifically books). If you feel a textbook may be a waste of your limited space and you only want it on select occasions, you could get away with renting it (provided it’s available, that is!) For some people, this could tip the scales in favor of renting.
Websites Where You Can Buy and Rent Textbooks
* Amazon
* Barnes & Noble
* eCampus.com
* AbeBooks
* Cheap Textbooks
* CampusBooks.com
* Chegg
* TextbookRentals.com
* TextbookRush
* BooksRun
* BookScouter
* ValoreBooks
* Knetbooks
* Better World Books
* AllBookstores
* Textbooks.com