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Faculty Textbook Resources

 

The University Bookstore’s textbook rental program provides every undergraduate student access to textbooks and course materials, digitally and physically, in exchange for a fixed fee per semester. Beginning in fall 2022, graduate students will also be eligible for the textbook rental program. Faculty members can watch the following presentation to learn more about the rental program.

 

Important information about textbooks and course materials 

  • Digital versions of most textbooks as well as other course materials provided by publishers will be available by the first day of class, via AsULearn Dashboards.
  • Faculty have the flexibility to change their digital rental adoptions each term. Physical textbooks that do not have a digital match with VitalSource will continue to require a two-year adoption.
  • Students will continue to purchase some items, including lab kits, workbooks, one-time use items, course packs, and other items.
  • If your students will be required to purchase special order items — paper, notebooks, pens, etc. — that you would like the Bookstore to stock, please contact Tami Johnson.

 

How to request textbooks and course materials

  • Each term, faculty will receive an email from the University Bookstore via the vendor Verba Collect prompting them to submit course material requests.
  • Consider choosing the most recent editions of titles as these are most readily available in digital format.
  • For digital textbooks that include publisher courseware (digital labs, homework, quizzes, etc.) submit the unique digital ISBN.
  • If a digital textbook is not available, a physical textbook will be included through the rental program. After placing your course request, give us a few weeks, and you can click here to check if your book is digital or physical.
  • Please keep in mind that you have academic freedom to choose whatever learning materials you need. VitalSource will provide those materials to your students digitally when possible and at a greatly reduced cost as part of our textbook rental program. If you choose not to be a part of this program, please know that textbooks and course materials you select will incur an extra cost to the student.

 

How to see the textbooks adopted for your class

  • If faculty would like to see if their course adoptions are digital or physical, or they want to review what they requested, visit the course adoptions search page. Faculty will need to use the dropdown menus to find their classes and select "begin shopping" to see their adoptions.


Important Dates


First & Second Summer 2023

February 14: Verba Collect course adoption submissions begin.

March 3: Verba Collect course adoption submissions due.

May 15: The Summer 1 eBook Course Catalog is activated. This allows students and faculty to see their eBooks in VitalSource.

June 22: The Summer 2 eBook Course Catalog is activated. This allows students and faculty to see their eBooks in VitalSource.


Fall 2023

March 21: Verba Collect course adoption submissions begin.

April 28: Verba Collect course adoption submissions due.

August 2: The Fall eBook Course Catalog is activated. This allows students and faculty to see their eBooks in VitalSource.


How to add eBook and course materials links to AsULearn


NEW! Please note this process has recently changed.

Each faculty member will need to place the VitalSource link in their AsULearn course whether or not they actively use AsULearn for the course.

  • Proceed to your course* homepage in AsULearn
  • Enable edit mode at the top right of the course page
  • Click on +Add a new activity or resource in the topic where you wish the link to show
  • Make sure you have the All tab selected to show all activities/resources
  • Select External Tool:

  • Enter My Materials in the Activity name field. It is important you use the label My Materials since training materials for students reference that label, and it is helpful for it to be consistent across all their courses
  • In the Preconfigured tool menu, scroll down and select VitalSource Digital Materials from the alphabetical list:

  • Click Save and return to course and the tool will appear in the topic in which you added it:



Using this process ensures that the sitewide tool configuration for VitalSource is properly saved for the activity in the course.

View a video tutorial on placing the VitalSource link in your AsULearn course.

*If you intend to combine sections in AsULearn by adding course "meta-links,” and are using Pearson or Kendall Hunt courseware titles, please contact Betsy Craft or James Howell for assistance.


VitalSource Resources

  • Visit the VitalSource success hub for information about teaching with digital textbooks and course materials.
  • Faculty will be able to access a complimentary digital textbook for assigned content and can also obtain digital desk copies of textbooks that they would like to evaluate for future terms. Learn more about the VitalSource Sampling Platform. 


Questions?

If you have questions, please start by contacting your department’s textbook coordinator.

For additional assistance, please put in a Bookstore Support Request ticket (log-in required).