Can I use an older/out of print edition? It should be cheaper for students to find used copies.

If a book is out of print, please keep in mind the price goes up the longer it’s out of print, and makes it more difficult for students to find as time passes. We encourage professors to consider using alternative materials or creating PDFs from relevant sections of out of print books in order to provide the materials in the most economically friendly way for students. We are happy to assist in creating alternative educational materials – just ask!

Please note when a book is out of print with the publisher it may still be available from outside sources (such as Amazon), but the College Store does not source titles from individual sellers. If students have not yet ordered the book they can definitely check with alternate sources if they so choose, although shipping times are not guaranteed, prices may vary, and there is no guarantee the book is the correct ISBN/edition when purchased from a third-party seller.

Out of print issues are not MBS issues. We encountered out of print sourcing issues when books were stocked in the store, but at that time had a larger staff who spent time finding individual titles. However, this additional work with third-party sellers increased the cost of the books to students and we have ended this practice.

What’s Canvas? Why should I use it?

Canvas is an excellent tool for communicating with students and distributing course information (syllabus, required texts, etc).

If you’re using only portions of a text or texts, you can create a PDF course pack on Canvas that students can access for free. This is an excellent option if you’re not using an entire book, or you’re using selections from an out of print title.

Copyright permissions may be required, and if so, will be charged to your department.

Your syllabus can also be posted on Canvas so students see which books are being used first, which sections are being used, etc.

For assistance with Canvas please contact the DLINQ department.

Why is the adoption deadline so early?

Adoptions are required by law to be available to students at the time of registration (please see the section on the Higher Education Opportunity Act below for more information). This is important for students to see the total cost of their education, and allows us to stock titles for students who may be using financial aid for their books.

Delayed adoptions can cause issues in inventory sourcing and stocking, especially for out of print titles.

Please note, we submit all approved courses for sourcing as soon as they’re approved, even if it’s before the deadline. Middlebury’s terms start a little later than other institutions and this helps ensure we can source enough copies of materials at the most competitive prices.

Why does it matter when I adopt materials if textbooks aren’t stocked in the store?

We continue to use MBS as our off-site warehouse and they begin sourcing and stocking books as soon as we submit adoptions (minimum 8-12 weeks prior to the start of class). Our online bookstore opens for student purchases at least one month prior to the start of class, so adopting on time ensures students have an accurate list of what they’ll need when they begin shopping. It also ensures students can take full advantage of the bulk shipping period which not only offers free shipping but also helps reduce the carbon footprint of shipping books.

Our deadlines also allow us to give the best price for books to students during the December and May buyback periods.  Book prices are based on supply and demand, therefore a book that has already been adopted will yield a higher price than one that hasn’t.

When do students order their books? Why aren’t my students prepared on the first day of class?

The Online Bookstore opens a month prior to class with consolidated free shipping to Middlebury for all student orders. Books are not stocked at the Middlebury College Store so please remind your students to order early. Having books adopted and ready to go when the online store opens allows students to take advantage of this free shipping promotion and have their books ready before the first day of class. It also ensures students are able to acquire materials in the event of sell-through on initial stock.

Recent surveys show over half of students wait to order their materials until the first week of class because they either didn’t know what was required or wanted to see if they truly needed the materials. If you know which text you’re using first, you can note that in Course Director (or let us know and we will add the note) to assist students in acquiring that book for the first day of class. Having an updated syllabus available at the time of registration with required texts listed is also helpful.

I adopted my books early. Why are they backordered? Can’t students just order them on Amazon instead?

We reach out to professors as soon as we are notified a book is on backorder from the publisher. Backorder dates are not guaranteed so we want to make sure everyone is aware in case the dates get pushed out.

Backorders come from the publisher, not MBS, and we would have encountered the same issues if we still had books in the store. Please note when a book is on backorder with the publisher it may still be available from outside sources (such as Amazon), but we do not source titles from individual sellers. If students have not yet ordered the book they can definitely check with alternate sources if they so choose, although shipping times are not guaranteed, prices may vary, and there is no guarantee the book is the correct ISBN/edition when purchased from a third-party seller.

What’s a course pack? How do we create them?

A course pack is a printed copy of only the required/relevant sections of books or articles for a specific class. The copies are printed on campus and sold to students at the College Store.

UPDATE FOR 2021: We are strongly encouraging digital/PDF course packs whenever possible to reduce paper usage, cost to students, and in-person contact between printing staff, store employees, and students. If your course pack is primarily for students to read (versus a workbook) we recommend offering students the digital course pack, with the option to request a printed course pack with a 24-hour turnaround from Printing Services. Digital course packs may still require digital permissions if you’re using a significant portion of one or more texts, so you would still complete the form below so we can secure permissions. Departments are responsible for covering the cost of digital permissions (which also helps reduce financial burden on students). We will not require a PDF of the materials as you’ll upload them to Canvas yourself.

Course packs are an excellent option to help reduce cost to students when you’re using limited sections of a book or books. Instead of requiring students to purchase an entire textbook, we request permission to use the relevant sections. Copyright permissions are required for large sections of texts. Sharing PDFs of small selections via Canvas is often the most cost-effective solution.

To get started creating a printed course pack, fill out the PDF below and send it to coursepackrequest@middlebury.edu – we’ll start securing permissions while we await the materials. You can either send us the hard copy materials with the relevant sections marked, or you can scan/photocopy everything in the order you’d prefer, and send either a PDF or hard copy of that to us.

Questions on course packs? Email coursepackrequest@middlebury.edu

What’s the Higher Education Opportunity Act and what does it mean for textbooks?

The Higher Education Opportunity Act encourages all institutions that receive federal funding to “work together to identify ways to decrease the cost of college textbooks and supplemental materials for students while supporting the academic freedom of faculty members to select high quality course materials for students.”

All institutions receiving Federal funding are required to disclose the ISBN and retail price of required and recommended textbooks and supplements for each course by the time of registration. Our adoption deadlines are set to give us time to submit adoptions prior to registration opening.

Failure to adhere to these adoption deadlines could result in Middlebury losing its federal funding.

Please feel free to read the HEOA Textbook Provision in its entirety below: