How do I log in?
Login information is on page 2 of the step-by-step instructions.
I can’t log in/don’t remember my username/my password won’t work/I can’t get a password reset link.
Please refer to page 2 of the step-by-step instructions. EVERYONE shares the SAME login information and ONLY the credentials noted on the instructions will work. Your individual Middlebury credentials will NOT work.
I clicked the drop down menu but I don’t see Course Director.
Please check your pop-up blocker – some pop-up blockers will prevent the Course Director tab from opening.
Is there a way to quickly copy materials from a previous semester? I don’t want to keep adding the same books over and over again.
Yes! That’s one of the great features of using MBS and Course Director. Follow the instructions on Page 10 to “Add a Course from the Course Catalog” – it’ll walk you through copying a course from a past semester. All courses are added to the Course Catalog with a semester designation after the course number (eg, ECON 0101A F18) to help you locate the exact course, in the event materials change from fall to spring, different professors offer the same course, etc.
Important note: this semester designation will NOT create confusion in the virtual bookstore. It’s an internal note that we can change prior to the store going live. Previous semesters that are NOT added to the current semester will NOT show up in the virtual bookstore, so students won’t see courses unless you add them. Nothing automatically rolls over into the current semester – but copying courses from the Course Catalog is a breeze!
Watch the video below for a quick walk-through of how to: select the correct course from the Course Catalog (using the semester designation), add it to the current semester, update the course number (if desired), review the materials listed, and approve.
Why does my course show ECON 0101 F18? I’m trying to add the course to the current semester and don’t want students to be confused by that F18.
If you roll over a course from the Course Catalog and it shows a semester designation from a previous semester, you can change it yourself (see video in question above) OR just leave it alone. We have an easy way to change it before the online bookstore goes live. Rest assured these semester designations will NOT cause confusion among students as they will only see courses that have been added by professors to the current semester.
Semester designations in the Course Catalog are there to assist you in selecting the exact semester you’d like to replicate for the current term. This is especially helpful for courses in which multiple professors teach, or materials change from spring to fall.
When I try to add a course it changes the term to Fall 2019 or some other term. Help!
Please open an incognito/private window and log in from there. That’s been solving the problem thus far. We know if you have multiple Course Director tabs open, they will all change to whatever semester you’re looking at, so this may be related to a cache/cookie clearing issue.
What’s my Course ID?
The Course ID MBS is asking for is simply the course number, e.g. BIOL 0140. Please enter your course ID in the 4-letter, space, 4-number format: ABCD 1234. The course ID is NOT your course registration number.
What if my course is cross-listed with another department? EG, CHNS/FMMC 0350?
You can list the course exactly as noted above, or you can use whichever department designation students are using to register (there is usually a notation somewhere in the Middlebury course catalog directing students which course number to use to register).
Why add a course if I’m not requiring any materials?
If your course is not added, students won’t see anything when they search for materials. This has led to confusion as to whether they have the correct course number, if the class has been canceled, etc. so we recommend ALL courses be added to ensure a smooth student experience.
How do I show I’m not requiring any materials to be purchased?
Please follow the instructions beginning on page 21. There’s a drop-down menu with options – select the correct one, click the “add a non-title adoption” button below, and it will add it to the course. Then you’ll be able to approve and submit the course to us. If you add a note without a non-title adoption it will not allow you to approve.
How do I show materials that are recommended or optional, but not required?
On page 19 of the instructions you’ll see a note on how to change whether materials are required, recommended, or optional!
What if there are multiple sections of a course?
In the case of one course with multiple sections, you have two options. If all sections are using the SAME materials, you can simply enter the course without any section letters (e.g. BIOL 0140). If each section is using different materials, please add your section letter (e.g. BIOL 0140A, BIOL 0140C, etc).
What if I don’t know which section I’m teaching or what the name of the course will be?
We recommend adding your last name at the end of the course in this situation – then once you know, send us an email textbookrequest@middlebury.edu and we’ll make the update.
How do I change the course number, name, or enrollment?
If you’ve added a course from a previous semester and you see an old designation (eg, F19), or you’ve changed the course name, or you’re adding a section designation (A, B, C, etc), you can make these updates as long as the status is not locked. Underneath the “approve” button you’ll see a link that says “update course information.” Click the link, and it’ll take you to a screen where you can edit the course information. Make sure to click the “edit course” button at the bottom of the screen to save the updates.
My course is in the Course Catalog but I can’t add it. Help!
First, make sure the Course Catalog you’re looking at is the MBS Course Catalog – NOT the Middlebury Course Hub/Registration course catalogs. These websites do not communicate, so information is not shared. If you’ve taught your course recently and used MBS to adopt books, follow the steps on pages 10-14 of the step-by-step instructions to add the previous course to the current term. The MBS Course Catalog is updated manually at the end of each semester so if you find your course is not listed please contact us with questions.
I’m trying to roll over a course from a previous semester in the Course Catalog, but the course number has some weird X18 at the end. What do I do?
This semester designation is in place to help you find the exact previous semester! Before we added this, professors who shared teaching courses often had trouble finding the exact course they wanted to copy. Simply select the correct course/materials and add it to the current semester. You’re able to edit the course number yourself by clicking the “edit course info” button near the top, or you can leave it alone and we’ll update it prior to the virtual bookstore going live. Please note, ONLY courses that have been added to the current semester will show up for students, so there is no risk of confusion with previous semesters unless you add it yourself.
How do I choose the right course from the Course Catalog?
Courses in the Course Catalog are usually followed by a semester designation, e.g. F19, to denote this was the course taught in Fall 2019. This allows for faculty to easily look up the specific semester they’d like to replicate. For these purposes, F = Fall and X = Spring. If there is no semester designation please open the course and review materials prior to approving. These courses were added prior to our manual review system and we cannot guarantee the materials listed for those earlier courses will line up with what you’d like to adopt.
MBS can’t find my title. What do I do now?
Follow the steps on pages 19-20 in the step-by-step instructions to add a new title to the MBS database. You MUST add the ISBN or we will be unable to source the materials. We’ll be alerted of any challenges with sourcing the material and will reach out to you with any questions.
How do I add messaging to let students know they don’t need to purchase anything, or they can use an older edition, or the ebook is fine, etc?
How long do students have access to ebooks? Can they purchase instead of rent?
If a VitalSource eBook states “Expires 365 Days after Activation,” it means that the student will have access to the material for 365 days on their online Digital Bookshelf, however if they download the eBook to their device, they should not lose access to it after those 365 days.
I think added everything right but I didn’t get a success message. Help!
If you’re not sure whether your adoptions went through, please take a look at the list of courses for the semester and check to make sure your course is listed, your course status is “approved”, and the titles you’re requesting are listed within the course when you click on it. If all looks good, you’re all set!
I already approved my course but I want to add a title/make a change. How do I do that?
We submit courses for sourcing as soon as they’re approved. We are happy to make changes or additions after this time, but please note these additions need to be emailed to us at textbookrequest@middlebury.edu to be added manually – this is to prevent any last-minute sourcing issues.
How do I review what I’ve ordered to make sure everything looks good?
You can log into Course Director using the instructions at any time to check on materials you’ve added to your course.
Prior to opening the virtual bookstore for students, we’ll also email faculty with a 48hr review period to see everything from the student side, so you can make sure all adoptions, books, and editions are ready for your students!
Why is my course locked? Why can’t I add or remove titles?
Once courses have been approved and submitted to MBS at the adoption deadline, all changes and updates to course materials must be submitted to textbookrequest@middlebury.edu to ensure MBS is aware of the changes. Titles added after the adoption deadline run a higher risk of backordering or running into sourcing issues as we won’t have the 8-12 week sourcing window.
Why isn’t my course showing up during the Faculty Review period? I know I ordered books.
First, check in Course Director to make sure your course is showing for the current semester. If you don’t see it in the current semester, that means nothing was added/adopted to the current semester in Course Director. Please create the course and approve your adoptions as soon as possible following the instructions and we’ll get it entered.
If your course is showing in Course Director but not in the Virtual Bookstore, there’s likely an issue with one or more titles in the course. The entire course won’t show up while we are addressing the issue. You can click on the course in Course Director to see any notes or issues that may be currently in the works. You may see a note that a title is out of print, that a title is under review, or a new edition is available. Once these issues are resolved, the course will show up for students. If problem titles are unable to be resolved prior to the Virtual Bookstore opening for students, we will reach out to discuss how to proceed.
Can MBS ship books to students if they aren’t on campus?
Yes! MBS is set up to ship books directly to students, wherever they are, whether it’s on campus, at home, or abroad. Students will be able to enter their shipping address and choose shipping options at checkout.
I want my students to order on another platform because it’s cheaper so why enter books on MBS?
We encourage all faculty to use MBS because this gives students the option to choose where to purchase their materials. Students with book loans or financial aid cannot use these payment sources elsewhere, so it’s very important they have access to their books through MBS. Using MBS also ensures students see the correct ISBN/edition so if they choose to order elsewhere, at least they have the right information to do so. Also, allowing students the freedom to choose the version that best fits their situation is important. Students may prefer an e-book, a used copy, or a brand-new combination pack, and allowing them to choose what works best for them helps ensure they’ll get what they need.
I have a question you didn’t answer!
Please email us at textbookrequest@middlebury.edu and we’ll help you out!