With all the holiday hype surrounding book reading devices, Barnes & Noble announced an interesting program that may bring dramatic scale to an idea that meets a real need:  textbook rental.

This pilot program, will help the company understand how mass customization works, as each college and university has their own set of booklists.  Books will rent for 42.5% of their original costs.   Students may go in to the store or rent online.  The pilot takes advantage of a $10 million set aside by Congress for book rental grants.

As tuition inflation continues unabted this year, students need every cost savings they can find.  To early to peg this as an example of Blue Ocean thinking, but it is a new way for B&N to reach a new type of non-customer, at a price point they will love.