PORT ANGELES — The newest option for Peninsula College students who need books for classes is to rent a text.
Students now can buy books new or used or get a good deal on a “plundered” book. And they can order books online.
The bookstore has long been searching for ways to save students money, said Patty McCray-Roberts, manager of the store in the Pirate Union Building at the college’s main campus in Port Angeles at 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
“We are an institutional bookstore, so our primary concern is the students,” she said.
This quarter — which begins Sept. 20 — the bookstore is kicking off its rent-a-book program.
The Bookaneer Bookstore, working in partnership with BookRenter.com, allows students to rent a book for either a semester or quarter — though McCray-Roberts suggests the semester because it isn’t much more costly than the quarter and allows the student more time to return the text.
Books can be ordered online, an easier option for those students who attend classes through Peninsula College branches in Port Townsend or Forks.
Students may view books by searching by the ISBN at a computer station in the Port Angeles campus bookstore or online at www.bookaneer.bkstr.com, by clicking on “Rent Your Text Books.”
The website shows what the bookstore would typically charge for a book and the rental price.
Most rental books were close to half the price of a new edition.
The book rental program is one more installment in the bookstore’s list of options.
“We are eager to launch textbook rental because we are committed to providing students with affordable textbook choices,” McCray-Roberts said.
“We understand the additional financial hardship that rising textbook prices place on our students.
“By offering textbook rentals, we aim to help lessen that burden with greater savings, additional textbook purchase options and convenience to our students.”
Another option is the Pirate Plunder program.
“Plunder” essentially means the college has bought a large number of texts to ensure they got the best wholesale price for the book.
“We have had the Pirate Plunder program for a couple years now,” McCray-Roberts said.
Although not a every book in the bookstore is available plundered, when it is, students can save up to 70 percent, she said.
“The first year of the program in 2008-2009 saved students $42,311,” she said.
“This last academic year 2009-2010, we improved on that dollar amount and were able to save our students $69,497 on 2,531 textbooks purchased.”
Peninsula College served 8,737 students in 2009-2010. Of those, 68.7 percent are part-time students, according to the college website.
With so many students searching for books, McCray-Roberts said, she believes students can save thousands of dollars more in the upcoming years.
Because most of the plundered and rentable books are used, students who need a newer edition would be out of luck on that front.
McCray-Roberts said in 20 of the college’s classes this year, a digital-format book will be available in lieu of the printed copy.
“The average savings on an e-book will be approximately 30-70 percent off the new textbook price,” she said.
Math and science text books are frequently the highest priced, McCray-Roberts said.
For instance, a freshman-level biology class book would cost $163 new, the e-book price would be $109.20, the used book price would be $123, the plundered price would be $90 and the rental price would be $55.14.
A math book would be $209 new, $98.61 for the e-book version, $157 used, $107 rented and $72 plundered.
“The idea is that in some cases, plundered will be cheaper and in some, renting it will be and in others they will get the e-book — but we want to have as many options as possible,” McCray-Roberts said.
The effort is in line with two of the college’s “strategic goals,” she said.
One is to work towards environmental sustainability.
“Obviously with that, renting a book would be the most environmentally friendly,” she said.
The other is to rapidly respond to change.
“The whole industry is going through a change, and we are in a remote area,” she said.
“We want to bring all the options that are available to students out there, to the students here at Peninsula College.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
