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York bookstore textbook rentals

Brandon Lorenzetti
Editorial Intern

The York University Bookstore has introduced their new textbook rental program for the winter semester.
According to the store’s website, the program is part of continuing efforts to save students money.
Steven Glassman, the York Bookstore director, says the rental system is a service for all students, and is not primarily concerned with profit.
“It was simple […] it was something that we had to do, and it wasn’t really a business decision,” said Glassman. “It was more of a decision that we have to serve our students.”
When renting textbooks, students go through the standard purchasing procedure, but are only leased the book for a period between 30 and 125 days. The rental cost of the books is an estimated 25 percent of the cost of a new retail book.
Though at first that price may appear to be a steal, Darshika Selvasivam, vice-president of campaigns and advocacy for the York Federation of Students (YFS), believes that renting out textbooks puts marginalized students at a financial and academic disadvantage.
“It may reduce costs, but this doesn’t address the larger issue of affordability,” said Selvasivam. “Essentially, students don’t get to own the books. Of course, another option would be to go to the library […] however, students need to be able to access these books and pursue academic needs. This affects the quality of education students receive.”
But Glassman is confident the new alternative will benefit students.
“For students, this is another option that may be more affordable than buying a new or used book,” he said. “The cost of a new book is not set by the bookstore, it is set by the publishers.”
Students can determine whether the program will succeed by voting with their wallets.

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