Students will have new local alternative to buying text books beginning next semester.

Starting in January Varney's Bookstore will offer the option of renting textbooks or purchasing digital versions of them called Jumpbooks.

In some cases, the newest edition of a book is not necessary every year, particularly for lower level classes that are offered every semester. After researching the textbook rental programs offered at other colleges across the country, Jeff Levin, co-owner of Varney's, decided this could be a valuable opportunity for K-State students.

Not all classes will have textbook rental available as an alternative, but it will be an option for many. In order to keep the price of rentals down, the faculty or department using the book must commit to using the same edition for at least four semesters, Levin said. For this reason, some of the higher level classes will not have rentals as an option because they have stricter requirements for keeping their textbook versions up to date.

Rentals can be kept for a semester and returned or students can buy their textbooks at any time during the rental period. The rentals will be available from both Varney's and the K-State Student Union Bookstore.

Inside each of the rental textbooks will be a list of terms and commitments for students. The rules are similar to those used by any library: Students will be responsible for loss or damage to a book, must return it on time and cannot write in it.

However, Varney's is not the only place where students can rent books. Web sites like Chegg.com and CampusBookRentals.com allow students to search for their books and rent them online. The books are then shipped to the students, who specify how long they need them. With these two sites, there is a full refund guaranteed for the first 30 days. Books rented from these sites can also be purchased instead of returned if students decide they want to keep their books.

This spring, Varney's will also be offering rental i>clickers, which are small remote controls with buttons labeled A through E. In classes like biology, chemistry and psychology i>clickers are frequently used for exams and surveys.

Another textbook option available to students is Jumpbooks, electronic copies of textbooks available online. Students purchase an access code from Varney's to access the book on Jumpbooks.com.

Jumpbooks offer features hard copies of the textbooks do not have, such as the ability to search for keywords or phrases through the entire text and add personalized notes, bookmarks, highlighting and more.

Levin said several other universities offered Jumpbooks, but many did not inform students and faculty about how they work. As a result, some students did not purchase them, and some faculty and publishers did not have digital versions of their books made for fear of electronic theft.

Levin said he decided it would be best to educate everyone about the pros and cons of Jumpbooks. Computers have already been set up in both Varney's and the Union Bookstore with examples loaded for students and faculty to try firsthand. Printed brochures that list the pros and cons of Jumpbooks are also available. To prevent theft and keep prices down, the access codes will not activate until they have been processed by a cash register at the store, Levin said.

One of the biggest drawbacks to Jumpbooks is they are nonrefundable, Levin said. Once students have purchased Jumpbooks, they cannot get refunds if they decide to drop the class. Also, while most of the Jumpbooks have the option to print off pages, a few do not and are only available to read in digital form.

"It's not for everyone," he said.

Jayme Carpenter, assistant textbook manager at Varney's, said about 180 textbooks were available as Jumpbooks so far, and more were expected in the future. She also said Jumpbooks were, on average, about $50 cheaper than used textbooks.

Morgan Peters, freshman in management information systems, said she works full time to support her way through school and spent about $250 on her textbooks at Varney's this semester. She had tried to find more affordable alternatives elsewhere, but discovered places that offered cheaper textbooks did not provide the software she needed to go with it.

"Saving on books would be very, very helpful," Peters said. "I think it would be a wonderful idea because then more money could be focused on tuition."

Levin said the stores are working on other ideas to make textbooks more affordable for students and to provide more options in the near future.

"We live and breathe textbooks," Levin said. "It's our job."