During your time at the University of Arizona, you may find yourself in need of a textbook, camera or laptop. The cost of these items can add up, and you might start asking if they are actually worth it. That’s why the UA offers a variety of resources where students can rent out various items. Here are a few of the places you can go when you’re thinking of renting something:

The UA Bookstore:

The lower level of the Student Union Memorial Center bookstore is where many students go to purchase their course textbooks for the semester. What incoming students should know before deciding to buy books full price is that renting textbooks for the semester is also an option.

The bookstore website states that renting a textbook will typically “save you up to 50% over buying new books.” Their rental agreement even allows for minimal highlighting and writing inside the textbooks, so if a student needs to mark up their book, they can do so within limited reason. 

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The only catch is that students have to remember to bring back the textbooks by the specified date, or they’ll be charged full price for replacement of the book. 

Sami Spencer, a 2019 spring graduate, said she was always nervous about missing the return date when she rented a textbook from the Bookstore.

“I just remember always checking to make sure when I had to return it so I wasn’t having it overdue,” Spencer said.

Students who can take on the pressure of returning a textbook should consider renting rather than buying, especially if they don’t plan to use the book again after their course has finished. Textbooks can be rented from the bookstore both in person and through UAccess.

University Libraries:

Students can rent out all kinds of technology and equipment, free of charge, at the service desks and information desks located inside libraries across campus. The only requirement is that students bring their CatCard when they check something out.

The libraries offer both Mac and PC laptops, a multitude of cords and chargers, projectors, tablets, cameras, calculators, scanners, hard drives, audio/visual equipment and other technology.

Once a student has checked out an item, they have exactly three days until it needs to be returned, at which point they can try to renew the item. For example, if a student checks out a laptop at noon on Monday, they need to bring it back in by noon on Thursday. 

However, there must be a certain amount of supplies available for a student to be able to renew their item.

As someone who had to rent out a laptop from the library for three weeks in a row, this resource comes in handy when something unexpected happens to your own equipment, or when you need to briefly borrow a unique item.

Gear-to-Go

Gear-to-Go is a technology rental service offered through the UA Office of Student Computing Resources. They offer free, 48-hour rentals to UA students and faculty for items including cameras, microphones, tripods, lights and audio recording devices. 

“It’s all totally free,” said Charley Gallego, computer lab consultant at Gear-to-Go. 

Gallego said they offer a variety of equipment and brands, and that a lot of the equipment is “extremely expensive,” so students should take advantage of the free rentals. 

Gear-to-Go takes online, over the phone and in person reservations for equipment, which must be picked up at and returned to the center after the 48 hours. The center is closed on Saturday and Sunday, however, so anyone who reserves and picks up equipment on a Thursday or Friday can keep it until Monday, Gallego said.

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Gallego said incoming students should familiarize themselves with the technology available and can visit to get suggestions from the staff members.

“I think this should be your number one stop,” Gallego said. “Come over here, get suggestions, get to know us, and [you] can rent out anything here.”

For students in majors with a heavy design or arts aspect where videos, photos, recordings or any related material is important for course work, Gear-to-Go can be a convenient and completely free resource for technological needs.

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