- When is the best time to purchase my textbooks?
The best time to purchase your textbooks is within one to two weeks of the first class day as this will be when the optimum quantities of texts will be on the shelf. Most professors have made their adoption requests, buyback has been completed, and orders from distributors and wholesalers have arrived and been placed on the shelves. University Book Store receives information regarding textbook requirements from your professors as early as months before the semester starts through the first weeks of classes. We make every effort to get your books on the shelf as soon as the books for the previous semester have been returned or confirmed for the upcoming semester. If you don’t find a book for your class for the appropriate semester, you can check at the textbook service center for the information or you can continue to check on the shelf.
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- What information should I bring with me when purchasing my textbooks at University Bookstore?
Textbooks are located on the upper level of University Bookstore. You enter the store at the 2nd level of the LBJ Student Center. Course books are arranged by department, course and section. Please bring a list of your classes with you when you shop for your textbooks each semester. The list should contain the names of your professors along with the course and section numbers. This will ensure that you are purchasing the correct books for the correct classes. It is not uncommon to have three professors teaching a particular class using three completely different sets of books. That is why the section number is so important.
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- What do I do if a book is sold out when I get to University Bookstore?
Occasionally books are unavailable when you make your first trip to University Bookstore. In most cases this is not because a book has sold out, but because it has not yet arrived. Instructors are made aware of these out-of-stock situations and will usually adjust assignments until the books arrive. When enrollments are larger than expected, instructors notify the bookstore of the increases and books are re-ordered. These reorders usually arrive by the end of the first week of classes. Some instructors are also assigned to their classes very late and their adoption requests may take as much as a couple of weeks after classes begin to arrive. Your instructor should be able to inform you of this fact.
We do place re-orders and/or special orders during the second week of classes. Stop at the textbook service center and fill out a special order form so that we can save a copy of the book for you and call you when it arrives.
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- Where do the used books on your shelves come from?
University Bookstore purchases textbooks from students year-round. We also buy used books from several wholesalers located across the country. These used books tend to be the best value for the students, which also means they are in the greatest demand.
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- Does that mean that I can sell my textbooks back to University Bookstore at the end of the semester?
Yes. University Bookstore offers its buyback service for two basic reasons: (1) to provide students cash for books they no longer need; and, (2) to provide a supply of used books for students to buy at substantial savings. University Bookstore buys books back in order to sell them to future customers. If the bookstore is not in need of a particular book, we also provide a wholesale price that is set by our wholesale vendors. Those books are then sold by the wholesalers to bookstores on other campuses.
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- What determines how much I get paid when I sell my books back to University Bookstore?
The buyback price is determined by a variety of factors. For buyback pricing, textbooks fall into one of three categories. During the course of a semester or buyback period, a title may move from one category to another based on demand. The categories are as follows:
Half-price Books
If a faculty member has notified the bookstore that a book will be used on campus the next semester, we will pay ½ of the current new book price even if you bought the book used. When we have met our anticipated needs for that title for the upcoming semester, we will purchase that title for the used book wholesalers.
Books not ordered for the upcoming semester
Used book wholesalers determine the prices they will pay for certain books. University Bookstore technically acts as the wholesaler’s agent and buys the book for the company from the student, and thus we must use their prices. Nationwide demand, current wholesaler supply and anticipated revision dates are some of the factors that the wholesale companies use in determining the prices they offer.
Books that we are not buying back
There are four reasons why a book may not have any buyback value:
- A new edition has been published,
- There is little or no nationwide demand,
- There is excess wholesale supply,
- The book is in poor (non-salable) condition.
University Bookstore provides buyback as a service to the students but is under no obligation to purchase any book from any customer. Each customer decides at the time of the transaction whether or not they want to take the offer from the bookstore. The bookstore has the responsibility to determine whether or not to offer money for a book and how much to offer. The purchase is final upon the student accepting cash for that title.
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- When does University Bookstore buy back textbooks?
All posted store hours indicate the hours for buyback, except for a few extended hours during rush when we have to close buyback out early to complete our other rush duties.
During the long semesters, our regular hours are 7:45 am – 6:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, 7:45 am – 5:00 pm, Friday and 11:00 am – 4:00 pm Saturday. We have extended hours during back to school periods (please check our web site) and we are open 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday through Friday during all breaks and during the summer. All exceptions are noted on our website.
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- When is the best time to sell my textbooks?
The best time to sell your books is during the periods of late April through May 15 and from late November until Christmas break begins.
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- Do I save money when I purchase a used textbook?
Yes. By aggressively purchasing used books and participating in buyback, you can save up to 75% of the new book price. (For example, if you bought a used copy of a $50 book for $37.50 and sold it back at ½ price of $25, you would play only $12.50 for the use of that book. That’s only 25% of the new book price.)
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- Some of my friends attending other colleges don’t have to buy their textbooks, they rent their textbooks from the bookstore. Why do I have to purchase my books?
Your professors at Texas State University-San Marcos want to use the most up-to-date textbooks on the market for your education. Because of this, a rental program (where the same book gets used many semesters in a row) is not a feasible alternative on this campus. Additionally, some students want to keep their textbooks for future reference.
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- How can I pay for my textbooks at University Bookstore?
University Bookstore accepts cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and Bobcat Bucks, the Texas State debit card.
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- How do I put money on the Bobcat Bucks card for my purchases at University Bookstore?
You may put money on your Bobcat Bucks card at the ID Services Office, outside the main entrance to the bookstore on the second level of the LBJ Student Center.
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- How much should a typical freshman pay for course materials at University Bookstore?
The typical student will spend about $350 per semester for course materials.
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- What if I drop a class or accidentally purchase the wrong book for a class?
You may return your textbooks with the original receipt and in the same condition as when purchased for a full refund through the 10th class day during the fall and spring semesters and for the first three days during Summer I and Summer II.
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- Is this the same return policy as the other departments in your store?
General merchandise must be returned within the first 10 days of the date of purchase with tags attached and original receipt. Please read the entire refund and buyback policies for University Bookstore on our website. The policies are also printed on the back of each receipt.
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- What other products are available at University Bookstore?
Texas State imprinted clothing and gifts, graduation supplies, school supplies, art supplies, office supplies, dorm supplies, computer software and supplies, electronics, general reading books, snacks and beverages, greeting cards, magazines, health and beauty aids, gift cards and miscellaneous gifts.
University Bookstore is the only retail outlet for the Texas State Traditional Ring. Upon completing 75 hours toward graduation at Texas State, students become eligible to purchase the Traditional Ring. If the ring is purchased by the deadline during Ring Days at the bookstore each semester, the student will be invited to participate in the Ring Ceremony where he or she will receive the ring from the Provost in front of family and friends.
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- If my class has required supplies that aren’t textbooks, do I find these supplies in the textbook department as well?
Your non-text supplies, such as art, engineering, blank cd’s, etc., will be found on the main floor of University Bookstore in the respective departments.
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- What other services are available at University Bookstore?
Parental
Authorization for Credit Card Use, textbook reservations, graduation
necessities, on-line textbook sales, textbook information inquiry
on-line, special orders for supplies and general reading books,
laminating, fax service, report binding and copy service.
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How can
I use my financial aid to purchase my textbooks?
The majority of scholarships and financial aid accounts are handled by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office including: grants, work-study, student and parent loans, scholarships and nonresident tuition and fee waivers. For information on when your financial aid from these programs will be available to purchase textbooks, please click here: http://www.finaid.txstate.edu/
Students who are members of the following groups: Veterans Affairs, Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, The CAMP Program, Emerging Stars or student-athletes, can contact the Textbook Sales Floor Supervisor at 512-245-2863 for questions regarding textbooks or contact the Accounts Receivable office at 512-245-2859 regarding charges on the account.
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