A Report on the Feasibility of Textbook Rental - IBHE

ookstores, 17 percent to friends/relatives, and 9 percent to online bookstores. Students whochose not to sell back their textbooks gave the following reasons for their decisions:• buyback prices were too low (75 percent);• student chose to keep all of her/his textbooks (67 percent);• selling textbooks back was not convenient (61 percent);• student chose to give textbooks to friends/relatives (51 percent);• student chose to donate textbooks to organizations (18 percent); and• student received textbooks from a scholarship (12 percent).According to the Follett Corporation, in their experience “at least 67 % of students sell atleast one book back at the end of each term, and nearly half (44 %) sell all or most of their booksback” (Follett Corporation response to draft 2006). Consequently, students choosing to participatein a buyback program will have lower textbook costs.LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES ON TEXTBOOK COSTSEighteen states considered measures to alleviate the financial burden on studentsresulting from textbook purchases in 2006, and Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and Washingtonultimately passed such legislation. Proposed and adopted legislation has focused primarily onsales tax exemptions, ending the practice of bundling of textbooks with supplementary materials,provisions concerning new editions with few substantive changes, and faculty textbook selectionguidelines.The following map, produced by the National Association of College Stores, illustrateswhich states were involved in legislation, policies, and/or studies regarding textbook affordabilityin 2006 (NACS 2006). A comprehensive list of proposed legislation is included in the appendix.-21-