Pierce now offers its students low-cost alternatives to pricey textbook purchases through book rentals and library access.
Students have two ways to save money when acquiring textbooks this semester. Pierce students can either rent from the bookstore or check out a textbook on reserve at the library for two hours, according to bookstore assistant Rachelle Clores.
In order to rent a book you will need to provide proof that you are in the class, a debit or credit card and an identification card such as a driver’s license, according to Clores.
“On the shelf tag it will tell you rental new, rental used. If it is rentable you take it to the cashier and let them know you want to rent it,“ Clores said.
The book store is accepting returns on purchased new and used books until Feb. 16 with a 10 percent restocking fee. There is also a $2 rewrapping fee if the shrink wrap was removed.
Equity is a committee on campus that helps out students with funding for projects, including tutoring and providing textbooks in the school library. Textbooks are not available for every class but there is a wide selection and they can be checked out for two hours at a time for use inside the library, according to Technology Librarian Clay Gediman.
“It’s the program to help make college workable for a lot of students because sometimes there are things that get in the way of it,” said Gediman regarding Equity. “We have been purchasing some of the textbooks for the campus and have one or two copies available behind the circulation desk.”
Textbooks are routinely checked out throughout the day for the duration of the semester. Students may have ordered a book online that has not been shipped yet, left their book at home or chose to not purchase the book altogether, according to Gediman.
“This fills in those gaps,” Gediman said. “If you just run out of your house in the morning and don’t have your books with you we have something so you can get through the day at least.”
Students can checkout up to 5 textbooks at a time. Late returns will cost students $1 per hour, according to a sign on the reference desk. Some students choose to take advantage of the textbooks in the library for only some of their classes.
“The teacher told us it is on reserve here,” said student Max Benton. “I didn’t want to buy the book so I just check it out. This is the only class I do it for.”
The library is also working with faculty towards implementing open end resource books which are digital books that will be free for students to use. The program requires a lot of preparation, according to Gediman.
“They’re launching that program right now,” Gediman said. “You will not see that this semester but maybe in the fall you will see some of that.”