Faculty Textbook Adoptions
Please take advantage of the Faculty Center website- a free service being offered to Elizabethtown College faculty. The Faculty Center Network is an invaluable tool to help make faculty textbook adoptions easier! The website for Faculty Center is http://www.facultycenter.net
Please contact Susan Smith for username and password.
Why adoptions are needed months in advance?
Our goal is to provide the best service possible to the campus community. That means making sure that course materials are on the shelves on time and in the right quantities. To achieve that goal we undertake a time-consuming research and procurement process. The earlier we have complete information in hand, the better are our chances for success. We try to provide a mix of both new and used books. When you request a book for your course, we go to several vendors to find copies of the title. We do this for each and every title requested for class use. We check with publishers and distributors to obtain new books and we buy used books from our students and used book wholesalers. We provide used books because they are both beneficial to the budget conscious student and to the college. The opportunity to sell back textbooks they do not want to hold for future reference helps them financially as does access to used books. The opportunity to buy those unwanted books from the students saves the college from having to pay freight charges for those items. The student buyback process requires a great deal of advance preparation by the bookstore. Buybacks are held during finals each semester to purchase books for the following semester New editions are obtained directly from the publisher. Since publishers do not keep large inventories, titles can be out of stock--and it may be awhile before they are reprinted. An adequate lead-time increases the chances that out of stock titles, delivery problems and other delays will not affect your course. Advance notice is especially important for imported titles, which frequently take longer to arrive.
How we determine what quantities to order…
We strive to have a book available before the start of classes for everyone that wants one. To achieve this goal we carefully review all the information available to us. This includes the quantity you suggest, the sales history for the course, pre-enrollment figures, and maximum enrollment figures. We do not adjust the quantity you request arbitrarily. We do try to meet the needs of every student while, at the same time, reducing the number of excess books sent back to the publishers. Publishers assert that there is a direct relationship between the high costs of handling excess books (returns) and high priced textbooks. The College also incurs a 10-20% restocking fee on book returns to certain publishers, and the freight charges involved in returning books to vendors represents a high cost to the college.
Desk Copies
Desk copies are available directly through the publishers. We ask that you direct your requests for these materials to the publishers and not the bookstore. We would be happy to provide you with publisher addresses and phone numbers. To ensure that your desk copy arrives on time, it is a good idea to mail your request at the same time as you request your course materials (or at least 3 months in advance of the start of classes.) In those instances when desk copies have not arrived by the time that you need it, we will loan you a copy of the book. You can either charge the book against your personal account or department account. When you receive your desk copy from the publisher you can return either copy to us. However, the copy that we accept for return cannot be stamped "DESK COPY" or "COMPLIMENTARY COPY." Your personal account or department account will be credited at that time.
Placing your adoptions-faculty only
Faculty may place their textbook orders electronically or through the campus mail using a textbook requisition form which is available at the College Store or from your department secretary. When your order is placed online you will receive a confirmation that your order has been received. If you do not receive a confirmation within a week please contact Susan Smith at 361-1516 or smithsd@etown.edu. It is not a bad idea to follow through on your orders, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns about your adoptions. Please let us know if your class size changes or if the department adds sections. If we are not aware that you have moved to a larger classroom or that the registrar will be admitting more students than initially indicated, we may run out of books and have to reorder once classes are in session.
Ready to Order?
Please go to the adoption form.
Book Return Policy
New and used textbooks purchased for the current semester are returnable for the first three days from the start of each semester with receipt. Textbooks should be taken directly to the rear entrance of the College Store (follow the posted signs) from 9 AM - 4 PM daily. New books must be in perfect condition - no highlighting, bent corners, etc. Shrink-wrapped packs must be unopened in original packaging or 25% will be deducted from the original price. Defective texts will be replaced at no charge. If you drop a course or have a schedule change you may return a book for up to ten days from the start of class - proof of this change is required. Refunds are subject to the discretion of the textbook manager and will be issued in the same form as original payment.
Textbook Buybacks
During finals week of the fall and spring semesters a national textbook resale company comes to campus and buys back textbooks that will be used the following semester here at Elizabethtown and across the country.
