The UC Davis Bookstore says its textbook rental program saved students more than $388,000 in fall quarter.

In today’s economy, “buying textbooks has become increasingly more difficult for many students” said Jason Lorgan, associate director of the bookstore. “We are pleased to be able to offer students an affordable textbook rental option.”

Lorgan said the bookstore’s text rental fees can save students up to 70 percent off what they would pay for new books — which “helps make college a little more affordable for our students.”

Here are some examples for this winter quarter:

• Molecular Biology of the Gene (Watson), used in Molecular and Cellular Biology 121 and 151 — $177.65 new at retail, $93.75 rental, for a savings of $83.90, or about 47 percent. A used copy sells for $133.25 at retail.

• Abnormal Psychology (Comer), used in Psychology 168 — $145.70 new at retail, $49.85 rental, for a savings of $95.85, or about 66 percent. A used copy sells for $109.30 at retail.

• Reflect and Relate (McCornack), used in Communication 3 — $90.90 new at retail, $29.85 rental, for a savings of $61.05 or about 67 percent. A used copy sells for $68.20 at retail.

For fall quarter, the bookstore rented more than 8,000 textbooks from a rental stock that comprised only 10 percent of all titles being used that quarter at UC Davis.

The rental number, 8,000 volumes, accounted for 10 percent of all textbook transactions: new, used and rental. As the bookstore acquires more titles for rent, Lorgan expects rental volume will go up.

“It is all about offering choice,” he said. “When possible, we want to offer new, used, digital (e-books) and rentals — and let the customer decide which is most appealing to them.”

Demand exceeds supply of used books

For most students, Lorgan said, buying a new text is not their first choice. But, if they are looking for used books, the hard truth is that “demand far outstrips the supply we are able to obtain,” Lorgan said.

Book buyback at quarter’s end can lessen the pain — but there is no guarantee. For example, a book — new or used — loses all of its buyback value if the publisher decides to put out a new edition.

For editions that are being used again, the buyback value is up to 50 percent off the new retail price, if the book is being used again the next quarter, or up to 30 percent off the new retail price if the book is not being used again the next quarter.

“With text rental, the bookstore assumes all the risk, and the student does not worry about buyback value,” Lorgan said.

He acknowledged that students might pay less for their books by purchasing them used and selling them back.

“But while some students may be able to pay, for example, $100 to buy a book outright, they may not be able to wait until the end of the quarter to get some of their money back,” Lorgan said. “But they may have the $50 to rent it.”

The bookstore’s rental stock comprises new and used books. Texts are due back at the bookstore by the last day of final exams. If the books are to be used again in a subsequent quarter, the rental returns might stay here, to be rented again.

But few texts are used in consecutive quarters at UC Davis, Lorgan said, so most of the rental returns go to used book wholesalers, to be sold to other schools where the book is being used.

Bookstore's FAQ on text rentals.