Textbooks/Course Materials
Let's just put this out there. Isn't the campus store the most expensive place to buy books?
Actually no, when you look at all the factors together, the campus store is actually the best value. We get it, textbooks are expensive. After the instructor, the textbook is the most important tool for the course. Textbooks are meticulously written, highly edited and printed in high-quality- all to help you get the most out of this tool. The campus store works every angle to provide the lowest cost materials available from working with instructors and faculty to choose the most efficient items, to rental options to bring the price down. Did you find the book cheaper somewhere else? The campus store's Price Match program has you covered. Visit the campus store website for details.
Why go to the campus store vs. online marketplaces?
The store works with school faculty to help identify course materials and make sure they are available in the quantity for expected enrollment of the course. While there may be a deal on a single book from a single seller online, there are no guarantees on item or seller quality from a marketplace. The campus store has everything you need in one place. Less time spent searching, with more confidence in the safety of your purchase and that you have the materials you need for class. The campus store also stands behind their streamlined shopping experience, competitive pricing and programs to deliver the best overall value on materials needed to be successful in class. Bottom line, we guarantee you have the correct course materials. And one more thing- if you need to, the campus store offers easy returns or exchanges.
What is the difference between "Textbooks" and "Course Materials"?
Often they mean the same thing, however, Course Materials is a broader category that includes digital materials, and course supplies like lab goggles. It's everything you need for the class.
How do I shop at the campus store for materials?
Stores have course materials arranged either by-course, or alphabetically by-author on the store shelves. The in-store system is designed to help you pick up what is needed as quickly as possible. If you have questions, there are store associates available. Online, stores' websites have menus to select courses to display materials. Some stores also have integrations with school systems to pre-populate your online shopping cart using registration info to skip the step of selecting courses.
What's the difference between "Required", "Recommended", and "Suggested" Textbooks?
- Required means the instructor of the course chose the item as necessary to be successful in the course. (Tip: Sometimes the school's academic department chooses the required items and the instructor of your specific class/section chooses not to use all these materials. This is rare, but you can always get a refund in the store up to the posted date, see store for details.)
- Recommended means the instructor also told the campus store about a key item that may provide additional help in the course.
- Suggested means the campus store has found that selected items are often purchased with the required book, and others who took the course have found the item useful.
What does "Choice" or "Pick One" mean?
Sometimes instructors provide a list of required items that students can choose from to customize their experience. It is the student's choice which item to pick for their course.
What does Book Edition mean?
Many textbooks have gone through a series of revisions as information is updated or generally accepted thinking changes. Your instructor will specify which edition they will teach from. While it may be possible to follow along with an older edition, students will be at a disadvantage when assignments are made by page number or the subject matter has changed if they do not use the instructor-specified edition.
What is an International Version of a textbook?
International Versions are sold overseas by publishers generally at a reduced cost by downgrading the paper quality, binding or printing, or selectively removing parts of the book. Like using an older edition, students using an International Edition may be at a disadvantage keeping up with fellow students.
What is an "ISBN"?
ISBN stands for "International Standard Book Number". This is a unique identifier of each book edition so everyone is clear on which book is being referenced. The ISBN is usually printed on the title/copyright page as well as the back cover of the book, and is either 10 or 13 digits separated by dashes. The ISBN is important to make sure you have the right book.
What is the difference between New and Used copies of a textbook?
Used copies are exactly the same as the New version and edition, but previously purchased by another student and sold back to the store after their course was completed. The campus store attempts to secure as many used copies as possible to offer to students as a way to reduce overall course materials cost. Used copies are expected to be in good physical condition, but may have notes or highlighting from previous owners. Sometimes students may prefer the New copy if they plan to keep it in their long-term library or it is central to their major.
What is Book Rental?
Book rental is a program the campus store offers to reduce the cost of materials for students who only plan to use it until the class is complete. The store will re-rent the book to several students over several terms to divide the book cost among the renters. Students sometimes have the option to pick a New or Used rental copy based on availability with a slight price premium on the New copy. At the end of the term, the student is responsible for returning the book to the store in good condition (you can write in it or highlight reasonably, but need to protect it from excessive wear or water staining). If the book is not returned in good condition, or not returned at all, the student will be charged approximately the difference of the rental fee and if they just bought it originally. Note that the store attempts to make as many books rentable as possible, but market conditions and specific qualities of the book like worksheet pages that must be removed may determine rent-ability. Tip: pre-register your book rental account RIGHT NOW at
www.follettrental.com - you will be able to rent books more quickly both in-store or online when you have your class list.
Learn more about rental.
What are Access Codes/ Digital Supplements?
Some physical books include a one-time-use code to access a website or other digital materials. Generally only New copies are guaranteed to have an intact code, although the store may still offer Used copies of the book that may or may not have an intact code (some students never access the code). If the access code is required for the course by the instructor, the store will exclusively offer it. Rental books are not guaranteed to have intact access codes.
What are Digital Books, are there different types?
There are several varieties of digital books, but usually just one type per title/ISBN:
- The most basic digital book is just a PDF of the physical printed book. This is the type of material that is comparable to reading a book on an Amazon Kindle, it is sometimes called "book under glass" because while you can view it on a tablet or laptop (the glass), there is little or no interactivity with the material.
- A more advanced digital book may still follow along in a linear fashion like a traditional book but have more interactive sections to help you learn about specific topics. For example, a digital book on geology may have an expanded animated volcano section.
- Finally, materials originally designed with digital in mind may have abandoned the traditional-book linear format and be more like a website of subject matter where a user chooses different paths through the material based on their own or their instructor's actions. This type of digital book generally does not have a physical book version.
Digital books are offered by many different publishers/sources, but usually only one source for that particular title/ISBN is available. Your school may also have a process where digital books from many sources are centrally available in the student LMS (Learning Management System), if this is the case for you, specific instructions will be available. For more information on digital books, go to Books > Digital Course Materials on your store's website.
Should I choose the Digital or Physical book?
The required and recommended materials for your course will specify if there is a digital version available and if there is a choice in formats. If there are both physical and digital versions available, it is the student's choice of which to use. Sometimes, but not always, the price of the digital version is less, but digital prices are determined by the publisher of the material. If you have a question about a specific course, ask the campus store.
What is a book "Adoption"?
Book Adoptions are the formal name for the required and recommended materials the instructor (or the school's academic department) has specified for the course. They "adopt" a specific item for use in the course.
When should I shop for my books?
It used to be a mad rush when you arrived on campus to get to the bookstore. It's become much easier. As soon as you know your courses and section numbers after registering for your classes, go to the campus store website to view the materials. Even if the store has not received the adoption for the course yet, or has not yet stocked the materials, you can sign up for an email alert when items do become available. You can choose to ship the materials to any address or have them collected, reserved and waiting for you to pick up in the store for free. Stores will usually have extended, convenient hours to pick up your items. It is a good idea to check for your books on the campus store's website because even if your local store does not have an in-stock copy, there may be one in another Follett store we will ship to the store for free pickup.
Should I attend class first before buying the book to make sure I really need it?
The campus store sees at least two reasons NOT to wait. First, since there are usually limited Used copies of the book available, these less expensive Used and Used-Rentals will sell out first. If you wait, you risk only the New version being available. Second, study after study shows that college-level classes move more quickly than many high school students are accustomed to. Not having the book on the first day can set students behind and make it that much more difficult to catch up. Best bet is to have the book and return it if necessary, the campus store will make the refund process easy.
What if I change or drop a class after I have the book?
In most cases books are easily returnable to the campus store up to your school's class add/drop date. If you think you may add/drop a course, do not access any codes that came with the book. New copies are not returnable without intact codes if they were included. See the campus store for exact refund date and specific return policies.
What is Buyback (selling books back)?
At the end of each term (or whenever you no longer need the book), the campus store will buy-back or purchase the books from you based on the current value. Value is determined by demand both at your school as well as on the national market for that book. Books that are likely to be adopted again at your school generally are bought-back at a higher dollar value – up to half of your original purchase price – however book condition and other factors also have an effect on book value. Books generally have the most buyback value at the end of the term when the campus store knows what is being used next term and is trying to source books for their shelves. The campus store website also has book buyback options to sell online, but if you are near the store you may get the best price by bringing it directly back.