The savvy student’s guide to shopping for textbooks at Concordia
Old or new? Printed or digital? Explore your options before buying that expensive brand new textbook.
So, you’re registered for courses and you're ready to get your term started. What's next? Buying your books. One of the most convenient ways to get it all done at once is by printing out a Student Booklist and shopping at one of the Campus Book Stops or online.
There are two Book Stops to choose from: one on the ground floor of the J.W. McConnell Building (LB) on the Sir George Williams Campus and another on Loyola Campus in Room CJ-1.422 of the Communication Studies and Journalism Building (CJ).
Coursepacks
When you get your list, look closely at the available formats of your textbooks and other course material. There could be coursepacks, which are printed in hard copy, and eCoursepacks, which can cost up to 50 per cent off the price of the printed version. More than 85 per cent of titles are now available in digital format!
All Concordia printed coursepacks are 10 per cent off from August 22 to September 23, 2016. In stores and online.
Textbook options
Buy it used and save up to 25%
You can save up to 25 per cent of the original cost when you buy used textbooks. Plus, you can sell it back to the Book Stop when you're done with them. The price depends on a number of factors, including if the book was bought new, and if the book is in demand here at Concordia or elsewhere.
Rent your textbooks and save up to 60%
Some textbooks can be rented, though the number of titles is limited. If your textbook is available for rent, it will appear in your booklist and textbook options. You can rent your textbook in stores or online and get it shipped directly to you, and at the end of the term you simply bring it back to one of the Book Stops. The end-of-term due date for rented textbooks will be on your receipt.
Buy an eBook and save up to 50%
Buy the digital version of your textbook and save up to 50 per cent. Check your book list for availability.
Get some cash: sell your used books
Why not take advantage of the Buyback? The Book Stop buys used books every day during Buyback hours (30 minutes after opening until 30 minutes before closing). You might consider checking the Buyback price online before dragging your books to school.
How is the buyback price determined?
1. Home price: If the book is going to be used again in an upcoming Concordia course, and if copies are still required for the upcoming term, you will be paid up to 50 per cent of the current price (new) in cash.
2. Away price: If the book is being bought by another campus book stop in Canada, you will receive 30 per cent of the current book price (with much of the price difference going toward shipping books across the country).
3. Wholesale price: The last possible buyers are book wholesalers operating out of the U.S. Unlike the academics, bids are set according to the estimated demand for each title.
If demand for the book does not exist at any campus book stop, it is ineligible for buyback. But you can still post it on the Used Book Classifieds web page also offered by the Book Stop.
Find out more about textbook rentals, buying used books and selling back your old ones and back-to-school deals. Having trouble? Contact support@concordiastores.ca.
You may also want to check out the Concordia Co-op Bookstore, located at 2150 Bishop St., which offers a selection of both new and used books and textbooks.