Textbook FAQ
General Textbook & Course Materials FAQs
- How do I order my course materials?
- What if there is no listing for my course?
- How do I use my booklist?
- How are textbooks & course materials priced?
- Why are course materials so expensive?
- What is the difference between a required and optional course material?
- What is an ISBN?
- Do you sell digital books?
- What is an Access Code?
- Will I be able to sell my book back at the end of the class?
- How much do I get if I sell back my book?
- How can I find out if my book is on the buyback list?
- What is a Lab Manual?
You can purchase course materials online, for pickup in store, or for delivery. We offer choices for payment and delivery methods. The store is also for in person shopping!
We are offering free ground shipping in Canada on all online orders (excluding diploma frames and digital items) over $150 before tax. For orders under $150 shipping will be a flat rate based on location and delivery speed in Canada.
US shipping will be two flat rate choices based on delivery speed and International order shipping rates will be determined by weight.
If your department or course isn't listed it usually means that we haven't received a textbook or course material adoption from your instructor. Please note that we receive textbook adoption requests up to (and after) the first day of classes. Check back often, speak to your instructor, or contact us and we'll try to help you out.
You can check your booklist at Find your Textbooks.
Check the term in the "Search Books for" title. Only one term is available for lookup at a time. If you are checking early, you may need to wait until your term is offered.
Select your course from the left menu box. When you have all your courses listed, click on "Find my Textbooks"
Your personalized booklist will appear. If you see multiple listings for the same course material it probably means that the professor has approved the use of multiple versions (print, looseleaf, digital) of the same book. Simply decide which version you wish to buy. There are often comments attached to the course asking you to make your choice. At this point, you can choose to order your books online - Add to Cart button for each title that you wish to purchase.
Textbooks are a very specialized form of publishing. The number of copies produced are generally small, especially when compared to books like best sellers. For every dollar you spend on a textbook, the University of Victoria has paid about 75 cents to the publisher. Out of the remaining 25 cents, all bookstore expenses such as freight costs, salaries, rent, shrinkage, donations, and capital expenses are paid.
Textbooks require a greater investment to write, involve more extensive peer review, call for more comprehensive editing and cost more to produce than general trade books. Textbooks are usually produced in smaller print runs, eliminating economies of scale, and their edition life is increasingly limited. In order to keep the information current, publishers often produce new editions of textbooks on a regular basis.
A required textbook is a book or material your professor has chosen which contains necessary readings and materials for successful completion of the course. An optional book is supplemental material chosen to assist in your studies, however is not mandatory for the course. These can include study guides, partial solutions manuals, kits and lab supplies. Alternative formats for required materials will also appear as "Optional". Courses which contain alternate formats for the same book will have a note at the top of the listing saying ‘This course contains book(s) that come in multiple formats (E-Text, Physical, Loose, etc.). You only need one format of each book.
An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a 10 or 13-digit number that identifies a particular title and edition of a book. You can find the ISBN on the back cover or inside publishing page and it is the best way to identify your textbook. Searching for textbooks by ISBN ensures that you buy the correct edition and copy.
If a digital format (etext or ebook) of your textbook is available you will see an additional listing for the textbook offered as an "Optional". Courses which contain alternate formats for the same book will have a note at the top of the listing saying ‘This course contains book(s) that come in multiple formats (E-Text, Physical, Loose, etc.). You only need one format of each book.
Please be aware that almost all digital etexts are subscription based, meaning that you are renting the materials and they are not available perpetually. We try to get the lowest price for students and perpetual licenses can be far more expensive. Etexts and digital books are NON-RETURNABLE.
This is a password that you use to log onto course content online (such as assignments, labs, practice exam questions, and so on). Access Codes will be listed as part of your online course listing and can be purchased online. Often an Access Code is bundled with a physical textbook or an etext. WebAssign, MindTap, LaunchPad are access code products. Access codes are NON-RETURNABLE.
Buyback may resume in December on the first day of exams, please check closer to December 2023. The pandemic has changed how courses and materials are delivered so with the growth of digital materials, physical materials are not in such high demand, therefore sometimes the pricing reflects this change in the marketplace.
Books are added to the buyback list when we learn that they will be needed in the next term. (If your course is offered only in the fall, your book would not go on the buyback list for the spring term, unless another course is using it.)
If your book is not being bought back, it may be because:
The professor is choosing a new book or is only requiring a digital offering.
The course is being taught by a different professor, who is choosing a new book.
The course is offered in alternate years.
The book is going into a new edition.
The bookstore already has enough copies in stock.
The bookstore has not yet heard that the book is being used again.
If your book is not being bought back in April, try again at the
end of the summer, when all the books for fall have been ordered.
The buyback list is updated daily.
The bookstore offers half of the new retail price whether you purchased the book new or used. If the Bookstore is not buying back your book, one of our buyback partners might be. The amount that you might receive from a buyback partner or wholesaler varies considerably.
Check out the price and demand for your books in advance. The list is updated constantly as we hear from professors and other titles are added from other institutions. Just click on Buy-Back Info and "sell a book".Check our buyback dates to make sure we will be buying back when you come.
Lab manuals are course specific manuals supplied to the bookstore from the departments that use them. They are sold on consignment on behalf of the department.
Online Ordering FAQs
- How do I order my course materials?
- How can I pay for course materials for my son/daughter/grandchild/someone special to me?
- What are the shipping costs for online ordering?
- How soon do I get my books?
- Can I pick up my order at the Bookstore?
- Can some else pick up my online order, or does it have to be me?
- Do I have to pay PST when I buy a textbook?
- Why is there sometimes no price for the textbook?
- Why does it say my textbook is not yet received or out of stock?
- If I purchased a digital access code or digital etext online, do I get access to it immediately?
- How do I access my digital etext or access code?
- Why can’t I find my redemption code for my digital etext or access code?
- How do I see my orders and order status?
- How do I print my booklist?
- Can I use my gift card online?
- Can I use my ONECard flex funds online?
- How do I change my address, password or email address?
- I have been charged twice for my online order, how do I get a refund?
- What happens if I forget to pick up my online order?
You can purchase course materials online, for pickup in store, or for delivery. We offer choices for payment and delivery methods. The store is also for in person shopping!
We are offering free ground shipping in Canada on all online orders (some exclusions may apply) over $150 before tax. For orders under $150 shipping will be a flat rate based on location and delivery speed in Canada. US shipping will be two flat rate choices based on delivery speed and International order shipping rates will be determined by weight.
You will need to know what courses they are enrolled in, so you will need to work with them to build their booklist and purchase books.
You can pay for these using your credit card but have them shipped to the student.
If the student is picking them up at the bookstore, you will need to forward them a copy of the order confirmation,
and they will need to provide a photo I.D. at the time of pick-up. The photo I.D. can be either a valid student card or a government-issued piece of I.D.
We are offering free ground shipping in Canada on all online orders (some exclusions may apply) over $150 before tax. For orders under $150,
shipping will be a flat rate based on location in Canada (see below). US orders will be two flat rates choices determined
by delivery speed and International orders shipping rates will be determined by weight.
BC - Ground: 3-7 Business Days, $16.95 + taxes
BC - Air: 1-3 Business Days, $19.95 + taxes
Rest of Canada - Ground: 3-10 Business Days, $24.95 + taxes
Rest of Canada - Air: 2-3 Business Days, $39.95 + taxes
USA - Fedex Ground: 5-10 Business Days, $40.00
USA - Fedex International Economy: 3-5 Business Days, $80.00
International: Shipping cost for International will be confirmed via email.
International shipping note: You may receive two shipping quotes via email but please be aware
the less expensive option has no tracking and if chosen the Bookstore is no longer responsible for missing or stolen shipments.
We are delighted to offer free shipping on most orders, providing an excellent shopping experience for our valued customers.
However, please be aware of certain exclusions to this policy:
Item Exceptions: Diploma Frames are excluded from the free shipping option, they are fragile and require special handling
so they arrive safe and sound at their destination. Digital items are delivered electronically
Weight Limit for Free Shipping: Free shipping rates are applicable to orders with a volumetric equivalent actual weight of up to
9 kg (approx. 20 lbs). Please note that we reserves the right to adjust the quantity, refund, or cancel orders that exceed the dimensional weight limit.
We appreciate your understanding in this regard.
Reservation of Rights: we reserves the right to make the final interpretation of these shipping policies.
We strive to ensure a fair and transparent process for our customers.
You can expect an additional 2-5 days for your order to be delivered and up to 5 days before you see any movement on your tracking ID after receiving the shipping confirmation email.
To pick up your online order just select "Pick Up At The Bookstore" as your shipping method. Please wait until you receive your final completed order email.
You will need to provide a photo I.D. at the time of pick-up. The photo I.D. can be either a valid student card or a government-issued piece of I.D.
Yes, someone else can pick up your order on your behalf. You can tell us in the Special Notes section of the checkout system who it will be. The person picking up the order will need a copy of your online order confirmation. They will also need to show their valid student card or government-issued photo I.D.
No.
Almost all printed course materials are charged the 5% federal Goods and Services Tax (GST). Digital materials are tax exempt. Taxes are as follows:
New, printed materials: 5% tax
Used & digital material: tax exempt
Books are printed and shipped at the very last minute and we are not aware of the exact price until it has arrived.
Textbook orders are placed over a period of time causing variable arrival times. At the beginning of the term we are still waiting for materials to arrive. Sometimes books are printed and shipped at the very last minute. Please continue to check back often as we do not always know the ETA.
As soon as you complete your purchase of digital materials online, you will receive an email with instructions for downloading and activating the item that you've purchased, giving you access to these materials. Access codes are NON-RETURNABLE.
After completing your purchase online, the redemption code is emailed to the email address you provided on your order with instructions on how to redeem your publisher's etext or digital access code.
For help with the access code and etext redemption process please watch this helpful video.
For help with accessing your eBook on the CEI platform please watch this helpful video.
The redemption code provided by the bookstore is redeemed at the Campus eBookstore website. In order to finalize this redemption, you have to set-up an account at Campus eBookstore.
If you log in to this account, you can view a list of the access codes and e-texts currently registered to you, along with all relevant details. You can log in here.
Can't remember your password? You can request a password reset on Campus eBookstore website.
Orders can be viewed in the Order History section of your account.
Use the Textbook Online Ordering to choose all the courses that you are enrolled in, once it returns your search results you will see an icon 'Print your Booklist' on the top right hand side of the page.
Yes, you can use your gift card online for non-digital items by typing in the gift card number in the Special Notes area during the checkout process. We still require a credit card number to process the order. We are unable to take gift cards for digital items as they require immediate payment.
To use ONECard Flex funds you must come in person. Sadly, if you are unable to pick up in store we cannot use your ONECard Flex funds due to security concerns. Your ONECard is your UVic student/employee number and although the number is unique to you it is also a number that other people can have access to.
Your information and password can be changed on your Account page.
When you place your order online, the bookstore pre-authorizes the amount of the purchase to your credit card. This is not an actual charge against your card and typically appears in the Pending Transaction or Authorized area on your banking app. We only process this charge once all the goods in your order have been picked, and your order is ready to be processed. Once processed, you will see this charge move to the posted area on your banking app. Some banks have a brief overlap period where the actual charge and the pre-authorization will both appear at once, but the pre-authorization should disappear within 24 hours. If you have two charges for the bookstore in the same amount appearing in the posted section of your banking app and they have been there for 24 hours or more, then please reach out to us using our contact form.
Customers who make online orders through the UVic Bookstore are requested to pick up their orders within one year of purchase.
To ensure that customers are aware of the deadline and don't forget to pick up their orders, the UVic Bookstore sends out three reminder emails to customers
who have not picked up their orders. If customers still haven't picked up their orders after the three reminder emails, a final notification is sent out.
This notification informs customers that their orders will be considered abandoned if not claimed by a specified deadline.
Orders that are not claimed by customers by the specified deadline are considered abandoned. At this point, the UVic Bookstore reserves the right to take action
regarding these abandoned orders. This action may include donating the unclaimed orders to a charitable organization or otherwise disposing of them in
a manner deemed appropriate by the bookstore.
It's important to note that the UVic Bookstore retains sole discretion in determining what to do with the abandoned orders. This
means that the bookstore has the authority to decide whether to donate the orders, dispose of them, or take any other action it deems fit.
Overall, this return policy ensures that customers are given ample time and reminders to pick up their orders, while also allowing the UVic Bookstore
to manage unclaimed orders in a practical and efficient manner.
Shipping Rates FAQs
- What are the shipping costs for online ordering?
We are offering free ground shipping in Canada on all online orders (some exclusions may apply) over $150 before tax. For orders under $150,
shipping will be a flat rate based on location in Canada (see below). US orders will be two flat rates choices determined
by delivery speed and International orders shipping rates will be determined by weight.
BC - Ground: 3-7 Business Days, $16.95 + taxes
BC - Air: 1-3 Business Days, $19.95 + taxes
Rest of Canada - Ground: 3-10 Business Days, $24.95 + taxes
Rest of Canada - Air: 2-3 Business Days, $39.95 + taxes
USA - Fedex Ground: 5-10 Business Days, $40.00
USA - Fedex International Economy: 3-5 Business Days, $80.00
International: Shipping cost for International will be confirmed via email.
International shipping note: You may receive two shipping quotes via email but please be aware
the less expensive option has no tracking and if chosen the Bookstore is no longer responsible for missing or stolen shipments.
We are delighted to offer free shipping on most orders, providing an excellent shopping experience for our valued customers.
However, please be aware of certain exclusions to this policy:
Item Exceptions: Diploma Frames are excluded from the free shipping option, they are fragile and require special handling
so they arrive safe and sound at their destination. Digital items are delivered electronically
Weight Limit for Free Shipping: Free shipping rates are applicable to orders with a volumetric equivalent actual weight of up to
9 kg (approx. 20 lbs). Please note that we reserves the right to adjust the quantity, refund, or cancel orders that exceed the dimensional weight limit.
We appreciate your understanding in this regard.
Reservation of Rights: we reserves the right to make the final interpretation of these shipping policies.
We strive to ensure a fair and transparent process for our customers.
Funded / Sponsored Students FAQs
- Who do I talk to at the UVic Bookstore about my account?
- I am a sponsored student, how do I get my account set up?
- Once my account is established, how do I actually make my purchase?
Graham McFarlane is the Sponsored Student Coordinator. Please contact him at:
Phone: 250.472.4592
Email: bookacct@uvic.ca
Your sponsor needs to complete the Sponsorship Funding Application and submit to the Bookstore; attention: Graham McFarlane.
Phone: 250.472.4592
Email: bookacct@uvic.ca
The information required includes:
• Your name and student number
• The amount of money you’re entitled to
• An expiry date for the sponsorship (ie…each term)
• Any purchasing limitations (ie…textbooks only)
Please note that the University of Victoria Accounting Service is not responsible for this.
Currently course materials may be purchased in the store or ordered online.
Below are the instructions for ordering online. As a sponsored student, you must sign in to the UVIC Bookstore with your UVic Netlink ID (not including @uvic.ca).
1. After selecting your course materials at: Search for Textbooks, you may also add supplies to your order, if they are covered by your sponsorship.
2. Upon clicking checkout, you MUST sign in with your Netlink ID and password.
3. Please choose the option to Pick Up At the Bookstore (Free) even if you would like it shipped.
4. Under Payment Method, please select Reservation - Sponsored students or Pay in store.
(If the reserve option does not appear for you, please contact Graham McFarlane at bookacct@uvic.ca or 250-472-4592, and he will set you up with the correct access.
5. Scroll down to the bottom page and add in the Special Notes section that you are a Sponsored Student, your student number.
We will use this information to charge your sponsor's account.
6. Click Continue; if you are OKAY with in-store PICK-UP, then review and click Submit Order.
7. If you would like your order SHIPPED then, Under Payment Details, click Change Shipping Address.
You will then choose an existing address or enter a new shipping address. Click Create once done.
8. Choose your Shipping Method – Priority or Xpress and click Continue.
9. Ensure your note for sponsorship and student number is showing and click Continue.
10. Finally, review order and click Submit Order.
**Please note if your order ONLY contains digital items, the code will be e-mailed to you in a timely manner.
You will receive an email notification when your order is ready for pick up in store or shipped with tracking information.
Digital Item FAQs
- What is the difference between an ebook, an access code and redemption code?
- Where can I find my course ID/course key?
- I redeemed my code on the uvicbookstore website, but I did not receive any email with the instructions to access my course material.
- I have 2 or more Campus eBookstore accounts (with different email addresses). How can I merge them together?
- I cannot find the University of Victoria in the drop down menu in Bibliu.
An eBook (electronic book) is a book that is available in digital form.
Access codes give access to course materials through a publisher’s website that can often include online quizzes, practice exam questions, interactive videos to help you
understand course concepts, and assignments. Access codes do not always include a subscription to an e-book, and they may or may not be required as part of your course.
You will need a Course ID or Course Key from your instructor to access the material.
A redemption code is a 12-character code that allow you to initially redeem eBooks or Access codes on uvicbookstore.com. Your ebook or access code will be emailed
to you after redemption.
If you would like to know more about ebooks and access codes, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W0r3lvq7W0.
Your instructor will provide the course ID to you, it is usually included in your course syllabus. It looks something like this: professor12345. If you don't know your Course ID, please contact your instructor.
After redeeming your code on our website, you should receive an email with a set of instructions to access your course material. Please make sure to check your spam folder,
and if you still have not received it, you can find the information to access your course material in Campus eBookstore. After login in to Campus eBookstore,
the instructions will be listed on the left hand side of your screen under “My EBooks” or “My Access Codes”.
You can merge your accounts by contacting Campus eBookstore’s technical support: https://www.campusebookstore.com/Support.aspx. Please make sure to list the accounts you would like to merge and specify the email address (account) you would like to keep.
Once the BibliU page is open, choose “CEI Campus eBookstore” from the dropdown menu (do not try to find your university or log in using your email address).