PURCHASING TEXTBOOKS
Purchasing Textbooks
Students may purchase textbooks from the Skidmore Shop either online or at The Shop. We recommend that you consider ordering on-line prior to arriving on campus so that we can have your order picked and processed for you when you arrive on campus. Before you start either method, be sure you have your class schedule handy, it contains the information you will need to make the proper book selections.
How to Order Textbooks Online
Follow the link to our site: http://textbooks.skidmore.edu/home.aspx.click the Student Ordering link on the lower left of the page. With your schedule in hand, follow the instruction on the site. Typically it takes about twenty minutes to place your order. Be sure you indicate your preference for new or used books. Not all titles are available used, and some are in limited numbers, which are sold on a first come, first served basis so try and place your orders as early as possible. You will receive a receipt delivered to your email account, please check it carefully to insure that you have order the books you need.
The pickup area for textbooks is located in the back right corner of the store. When you come to pickup your books you will need to bring your Skidmore ID the order number from your receipt. We will not release an order without your ID, this is to insure you and only you get the books you paid for, so please remember to bring it. It is also helpful to bring a copy of your receipt and a copy of your schedule just in case there are any questions.
How to Pickup Your Textbooks at The Skidmore Shop
You should bring your course schedule, which contains course and section numbers, to the bookstore when you come to purchase your books for the semester. In order to locate your books within the store, you’ll need the course abbreviation, the course number and the section number with the professor’s name.
Example: The course number assigned to American History 105 section 001 with Professor Linrothe will be AH 105 001/002.
Finding Your Books
With the course registration information, you can go to the appropriate (i.e. American History) section of the bookstore. The bookstore uses the exact same course abbreviations and section numbers to identify the books that are found on your registration card.
To purchase books for a course, you should first find the shelf card with that exact course abbreviation and section number on it (i.e. AH 105 001/002). Next, read the card to find out the author and title of the correct textbook, and then look above the card to find the book.
Make sure that the book on the shelf is the same as the book listed on the card. Notice that at the bottom of each bookstore shelf card there are two numbers. Example: AH 105 001/002 Linrothe has three books required for the Fall semester. At times, the shelf is not long enough for the number of books in the class so the sequence wraps around to the shelf below or to the next section of shelving. Be sure to purchase all of the required books for each course.
The courses are arranged in alphabetical order by course abbreviation starting with AH (for American History) and continuing through to WS (Womens Studies). AH is located on the left side of the back wall of the bookstore. The courses follow in alphabetical order, left to right, top to bottom to the back of the store. There are signs on top of the book islands to guide you to the correct area for course abbreviations. Once you have found the correct course abbreviation, the course numbers should follow in ascending order.
If you are unable to find a course number, make sure you are in the correct aisle and that the course numbers do not continue on another shelf. If you are still unable to find a course number, ask one of our textbook associates for help. It’s possible that the course does not require any textbooks or that the course is cross listed with another course. Remember; only buy the books that have a shelf tag with your exact course and section number on it.
Recommended Readings
Some courses have “recommended” textbooks for the course. We suggest that the student attend class and see his or her instructor before purchasing these recommended books.
What to do if you are Unsure about a Course
If you are sure of your courses, you should buy all of your books as soon as you can. If you are thinking about adding or dropping a course, please do not purchase these books until you know whether or not you are taking a particular course. The number of books available for students in each course corresponds to the actual enrollment for that course. If a student who is not yet in a course purchases the books for that course it could affect the number of books available to those students who are legitimately enrolled.
Other Helpful Tips
Not all titles are available used but many are – used books save you money. Used books will be identified by a yellow “used” sticker usually attached to the book’s spine. Condition of used books varies but all are fully serviceable and will suffice for your class needs.
Keep your receipt! Hopefully, you have purchased the correct books for your courses and you will not need to return any, however, often that is not the case. You will need your receipt to return your books. We suggest you sign your name to the back of your receipt when you purchase your books so if you loose it, your books cannot be returned by someone other than you.
Do not write in your books until you are sure that you will be staying in the course. Or better yet, do not write in your books at all. In order for new books to be returned as new, they must be new….no highlighter, no names, no coffee stains. When it comes time to sell your books at the end of the semester, the price you receive for your used books may be impacted by the condition the books are in. We want you to use your books as the educational tools they are, but remember they represent a significant investment and they should be handled and treated as such.
If the books you purchased were part of a package, or bundle, be certain to keep all pieces, CDs, and other parts together, having all the parts may impact the buyback price or whether you can sell the book at all.