Textbook Service

Textbooks are rented to students for the length of the semester and must be returned in the same general condition that they were issued by 5pm the Saturday of finals week. This means no writing, highlighting, or damaging the books beyond what would be considered normal wear and tear.  In the event that the textbooks are not returned by the due date or they are damaged to the extent that they cannot be reissued the student will be charged the full replacement cost of the book(s) as per the Textbook Rental Policy The student is responsible for the proper handling and care of the books that are rented to them. 

Textbook rental fees are included as part of standard student fees and tuition. There is no additional fee or charge for renting textbooks from Textbook Service unless you damage a book or fail to return your books by the return deadline. You do not need to bring money to get your books. Some classes may require students to purchase supplemental materials such as lab manuals or workbooks, which are not part of the rental program. Those materials will be available for purchase at the Cougar Store.

Textbooks are assigned based on the courses that a student is enrolled in. Upon entering Textbook Service a student will scan their Cougar Card at one of the stations and a picklist will printout. The picklist specifies which required textbooks a student needs to pickup and the location of the books on our shelves. The picklist will also indicate if there course material that will be on Blackboard or if there is any required materials that must be purchased by the student at the Cougar Store.  The student is then responsible for pulling their books from the shelves and taking them to a checkout station to have the books assigned to their account.  The books that print on the picklist are the only books that a student is allowed to rent for the semester. Some books may have a different course number or even department on the barcode label of the book, this is normal as the same book can be used for multiple courses and disciplines. The computer system will not allow an incorrect textbook to be rented to a student. There are also courses which have many different books on the shelf for the course, but only the book(s) that is listed on the picklist is the book(s) that the student is allowed to rent. If a book is on the syllabus but is not listed on the student picklist, the student is not allowed to rent the book, only the book(s) that print on the student picklist are allowed to be rented. If an instructor neglected to request a book or requested the wrong book for the semester Textbook Service cannot issue the book until it has formally been requested by the instructor and proper paperwork has been submitted to Textbook Service by the requesting department.

  SIUE Mobile App: Download the SIUE Mobile App and access the Rental Books feature to see the required course materials for the courses that a student is enrolled in. This feature acts similar to the printed picklist that is available at Textbook Service but is not to be used in place of the printed picklist that is to be used when picking up books.

  Web Based Student Picklist:  This is a web based version of the mobile app student picklist.  A students e-ID and password is required to access.  Please note that this feature works much better in the mobile app and may not always work correctly.

 Rental Books by Department and Course: This is a listing of all materials that have been requested for a course that is provided to enrolled students by Textbook Service.

Off campus students have the option of having their textbooks mailed to them or they can pick them up at Textbook Service prior to the start of classes. If a student chooses to have their textbooks mailed to them they will need to submit the Off Campus Textbook Form. Upon submission of the form Textbook Service staff will print out the students book list, package the books and ship them via UPS ground. The students account will be charged for shipping at a rate of $15.00 for the first book and $3.00 for each additional book shipped. Off campus book orders are generally shipped out within one business day from submission of the form.  In most cases orders are delivered within four business days from the time Textbook Service receives the form, however we ask that you allow up to two weeks for delivery.  Off campus students are responsible for returning their books the same as all other students by the return deadline which is always by 5pm on the Saturday of finals week. Books mailed back to Textbook Service are done so at the student’s expense and must be postmarked by the Saturday of finals week.

When a student initially rents a textbook, the student has two weeks from the date of rental to inspect their book(s) for damage and bring the damage to the attention of Textbook Service. We will then either reissue a different book or make note of the damage to the book so that the student is not responsible. After two weeks the student is responsible for the condition of the book(s) that has been rented to them.

When a student returns their textbooks, staff will assess the general condition of the book for damage. If damage is found the staff will notify the student that the book is being returned in unacceptable condition and that we will not be able to accept the book back. Staff will then tell the student that they will be charged for the full replacement cost of the book. The most common reasons for books being deemed as un-returnable damage is: water damage, ‘dog eaten’ books, writing, highlighting, and torn pages.

The deadline to return textbooks is by 5pm on the Saturday of finals week. Textbook Service will have extended hours prior to the turn in deadline, the hours will be posted on the Textbook Service website as well as sent out via email to the SIUE announce list and posted on our social media platforms. Students are encouraged to return their books at their earliest convenience prior to the deadline. Students can return textbooks at any time throughout the semester and do not need to wait until the end of the semester to return their books. Students can return the books themselves or have a trusted friend or family member return their books for them in the event they are unable to do so themselves, textbooks can also be mailed back to Textbook Service for return. Mailed in textbooks must be postmarked by the return deadline date. If a student fails to return their books by the deadline the student will be charged the full replacement cost of the book(s) as per the Textbook Rental Policy. Students that have not turned in their books by the deadline have an opportunity to fill out an appeals form and have their case reviewed on an individual basis. An appeal must be filed within two weeks of the return deadline, after which time no more appeals will be accepted.

Desk copies are arranged by the department secretary. In some instances Textbook Service provides assistance to the department secretary by loaning texts to the department in unusual circumstances.

Most traditional college texts now have supplemental CD'S, DVD’s, digital access codes and other materials. At the discretion of the department, we can issue these materials along with the text.