Students frustrated by high textbook prices may not be aware that they have another option.
All three Florida Book Store locations have been renting textbooks out to students for about two years but haven't advertised it, said textbook manager Mike Bibbee.
"We weren't sure if people would be interested," Bibbee said.
Students must buy the textbook they want to rent up-front and pay the full price.
After they're done, they can return it and get their money back, minus the rental fee.
The rental fee is $3 a day for used books and $5 a day for new books.
Other textbook companies such as Orange and Blue Textbooks, Gator Textbooks and the UF Bookstore do not have a textbook rental program in place.
"Basically, it is already a rental system anyway, because you buy the textbook and sell it back," said Duane McMahan, owner of Gator Textbooks Inc.
UF Bookstore director Lynne Vaughan said implementing a textbook rental system would require another fee to be added to tuition.
"If we did that, we might as well be a lending library," Vaughan said. "When you have over 4,000 titles on campus, it's kind of hard to do."
Luis Mayo, a UF sophomore, said he did not know that Florida Book Store rented textbooks but would probably only use the service for a class that only required a text for tests.
Nicholas Paganella, a UF freshman, said he might find the rental system useful, but would rather own the book.
"What about students that have financial aid? Bright Futures covers textbooks, anyway."
