Textbook Rental Service Saves EIU Students Thousands

August 10, 2009

Over the past century, Eastern Illinois University students have saved literally tens of thousands of dollars by having the opportunity to rent, rather than buy, the textbooks required of them for their classes.

Currently, on average, students save $600 to $800 annually by renting their textbooks. It is easy to figure out why the service is so popular among our young men and women -- and their parents!

EIU's Textbook Rental Service reports an inventory of 220,000 volumes worth nearly $8 million.  Some of those volumes -- time-honored novels, for example, as those used in English classes -- have been around for decades. Many others -- some costing upwards of $200 each -- need to be updated much more frequently.

The history of Eastern's Textbook Rental Service is as long as the history of the university itself. When Eastern Illinois State Normal School opened in 1899, students paid $1 for the benefit of being able to rent, rather than purchase, the books they would need for their classes.

The service originally was housed in Old Main which, at the time, was the institution's one and only building. The move to its current location -- Pemberton Hall -- took place in 1969. By then, the university had grown. With the addition of McAfee and Lantz gymnasiums, there was no longer a need for the much smaller 'crackerbox' gymnasium housed in Pemberton Hall. Textbooks took over the space once used by school athletes and their cheering fans.

Other than being temporarily housed in Buzzard Hall while some renovation work was taking place (circa 1980), the service has remained in Pemberton Hall ever since.

That will soon change, however.

In November 2008, groundbreaking took place for a 19,200-square-foot facility equipped to house the thousands of textbook volumes supporting Eastern's academic programs. Work is currently ongoing, with an estimated late Spring 2010 opening planned.

The finished structure, to be located on existing university property along Edgar Drive and a few blocks west of Illinois Route 130, will house a loading dock, a receiving area, a workroom and staff offices. It also will be equipped with a stand-alone geothermal heating/cooling system.

Why I Like EIU's Textbook Rental Service

"The Textbook Rental Service is a great service to EIU students. My son saved $4,000 over his four years at EIU. I believe there are very few schools offering this program; I wonder why more, if not all schools don't offer this service. The savings add up over four years, but the peace of mind knowing EIU is implementing cost-saving programs is priceless.  Thank you for being proactive.

"(Eastern) provided my son an education on a beautiful campus while he enjoyed a wonderful, safe and fun experience throughout his four years. (The university) provided all this at an affordable price.  The entire EIU staff should be proud of their accomplishments.  I am proud of my son, and he is proud to be an EIU alum."

Dana Weaver, Bloomington, Ill.; Recent Past President, EIU Parents Club

"Having just transferred from a community college (in August 1997), where I was required to purchase my books and later sell them back for pennies, I immediately realized the cost savings of paying a minimal one-time rental fee and simply returning the books without having to haggle on a resale price.

" Even more important to me, Textbook Rental was where I met Vanessa (Irving) Dillingham, a friend for life. We had just wrapped up our orientation process when we headed over to purchase our books. Realizing we had a similar class load, we helped each other through the process and went on our way, her back to Peoria and me back to the suburbs. We reunited later that summer on the first day of class and quickly resumed our friendship, one that continues today along with my wife, Jen, and Vannessa's husband, Dennis, and daughter, Margaret. Not only will you save some cash at Textbook Rental, but you never know who you may meet!"

Justin Kmitch '99, New Lenox, Ill.; Alumnus, Journalism

From Levi M. Bulgar '09, Mt. Prospect, Ill.; Student Body President 2008-09

"When I began applying to different colleges and universities, I remember sitting down with my parents and trying to prioritize schools based on what I wanted to do and my family's ability to pay for tuition and fees. I never knew how many additional costs came with a college education, outside of the basic tuition and room/board. By themselves, the additional fees seem inconsequential; when you add it all together, they can mean the difference between being able to afford college or not.

"When I chose Eastern, I knew that I'd be getting a great education and an amazing set of services at a price that I could afford. Textbook rental was one of those services. Every semester, friends of mine from schools across the state and across the country would complain about the arduous process of having to get their books. The process of buying the right books, keeping them in good condition all year long and then getting pennies on the dollar for them once the semester was over was frustrating for them, and unimaginable for me.

"There were times when I, like many of my friends at EIU, took the rental program for granted. We believed there was definitely room for improvement, and almost every student on campus had their own suggestions. Better storage space. Longer hours. Easier check-out process. An enclosed queue line. And, of course, MORE PARKING! But even with these little problems, we were still better off than most schools in the state of Illinois.

"But thanks to a little forward thinking on the part of the administration and some helpful internal legislation among the students, EIU was on the fast track to a brand new textbook rental facility. EIU has always been known as the school with a textbook rental program, and we could always chalk it up to those men and women of the school's early years who had the foresight to make it a staple of the university. Now we could improve on the concept and the financial savings, and give the students a great program that is housed in an amazing facility. It just made sense.

"I remember the day that we stood outside Carman Hall, at the site where the new facility was going to be built, with gold shovels ready to do the ceremonial groundbreaking. I remember because it was about 25 degrees and I didn't have gloves or a jacket. As I stood there, I realized that most students wouldn't immediately understand how big a deal it is to have a rental program like ours, or even learn to appreciate it. Some might go their entire tenure at EIU without so much as giving it a second thought. But, for those who are paying their own way, for those whose parents are helping and those who are trying to make ends meet in this economy, it can be the difference between going to college or not. These days, most students are extending their time in higher education by as much as a full year. Over the course of four to five years, the savings of having a program such as ours can reach into the thousands. And with the lack of funding in higher education and the continuous uncertainty of the economy, the importance of every dollar earned and every dollar saved brings with it a much more substantial meaning.

"As much as we can understand the present, we must look forward to the future. The new facility will eliminate many of the current problems we face with our program. A state-of-the-art building with technology that will make the continued use of Textbook Rental Services faster, easier, more cost effective and GREEN. Added space for students to come in off the street, thus keeping them comfortable and patient while waiting to pick up or drop off their books, is a plus. Geo-thermal heating and cooling not only holds true to the university's “Go Green, Go Blue” mentality, but also helps keep EIU as one of most affordable schools in the country. Additional parking not only serves as a much-needed convenience, but it ensures the safety of the students so they don't have to park along Fourth Street and walk through traffic with their books in hand.

"I could continue to talk about the many improvements that this new facility will bring with it, but if I do, then this will turn into a novel. In a nutshell, this facility takes an amazing program that saves students hundreds to thousands of dollars, and brings it up to date. Easy pickup and drop off powered by state-of-the-art technology, convenient parking, the GO GREEN seal of approval, and an amazing aesthetic touch to an already beautiful campus. What else could anyone ask for?"