To the Editor:
The Nov. 16 article on textbook rental, “Textbook renting may cut costs,” didn’t touch on my primary objection to the rental system: I believe textbook rental has a negative impact on student performance.
As a professor in the University of Wisconsin System, I see firsthand the effects of textbook rentals.
Students who rent textbooks don’t seem to claim ownership of the content, either. Once students complete courses and return the books, the relevance of that material seems to evaporate. Some textbooks serve as valuable resources for other courses and can promote synthesis, allowing students to build connections they might not otherwise make. Some texts, like the one I use in my communication law course, can be valuable for years to come as students enter the work force.
What self-respecting journalist or engineer or educator or professional of any kind would want to graduate from college without a personal library? Textbook costs are out of control, no doubt, but rentals will not solve the problem. Rentals will solve students’ short-term financial issues but create other problems that are, in my opinion, more worrisome.
Arthur L. RanneyPlatteville, WI
