This story was updated Jan. 19 at 1:00 pm

As students look for ways to save money this semester, several campus bookstores are offering textbook rentals as an alternative to the standard of purchasing new and used books.

T.I.S. College Bookstore in Champaign will be renting textbooks for the first time this semester.

Joe Siegel, textbook manager at T.I.S, said renting a textbook follows a procedure similar to renting a video, except the textbook return date is at the end of the semester as opposed to a few days later.

He said all rentals will be clearly marked and will be out on the shelves with the rest of the textbooks. The terms of the rental agreement can be found on the front cover.

Some bundled packs that include CDs will also be available for rent at T.I.S.

Siegel added that renting a textbook eliminates the risk of students being unable to sell back their books at the end of the semester.

“It’s another choice for students to possibly save money,” Siegel said.

He said the rental system does not distinguish between new and used textbooks in terms of price.

With the addition of renting books, T.I.S. now has four textbook options: purchasing new or used textbooks, renting textbooks and purchasing e-books or digital copies of textbooks accessed online.

Brian Paragi, store manager at T.I.S., noted that the number of available titles will not increase this semester, but the program will hopefully expand with subsequent semesters. "There is not enough inventory, but we have been successful with the titles we have. With each ensuing semester, the title base should increase as more faculty commit."

Follett’s Bookstore, also in Champaign, introduced a Rent–A–Text program on campus this semester. The program launched as a pilot on seven other campuses this fall.

Renting allows students to save up to 55 percent off the retail price of new textbooks, said Elio DiStaola, director of public and campus relations for Follett Corporation.

“Seven bookstores (that launched the program in the fall) in one semester saved students $2 million on the cost of their course materials,” DiStaola said.

Over the past five years, there has been a “staggering downward trend” in the amount of students that have the materials in their hands for the first day of class, he said. Renting textbooks takes aim at reversing this trend by making books more affordable.

Michael Hubbard, store manager for Follett’s Bookstore in Champaign, said he is optimistic about the new program and hopes students feel the same way.

“It’s by far the cheapest ways to get your textbooks,” Hubbard said.

He added that because they are still part of a pilot program, not all textbooks can be rented. Some books cannot be rented because they expire after one use, such as custom packs that professors make for one semester.

Hubbard said students who rent textbooks are required to show a form of identification as well as a credit card to put on file.

The Illini Union Bookstore in Champaign has been renting textbooks to students since spring 2009, said Bradley Bridges, associate director of retail operations for the store.

“The numbers (of people renting books) have been underwhelming with regard to how many students we have total, but the people that use it are very grateful for it,” he added.

He said rental customers have been very conscious about bringing the books back at the end of the semester.

Bridges said the bookstore can apply large discounts on rentals when a professor says he will continue using the book.

All rental agreements for these campus bookstores are only available in stores and are not yet accessible online. Rentals for all locations are due back after final exams, but the specific date varies depending on which bookstore students are renting from.

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This story was contributed to by Stephanie Tussing, Web staff.