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FAQ AND GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT TEXTBOOKS
WHAT WILL MY TEXTBOOKS COST?
The cost of textbooks will be different for each student. On average the textbooks will be $450 to $550 per semester. You may look up the price of textbooks online approximately one week before the semester begins.
WHY ARE TEXTBOOKS SO EXPENSIVE?
Without question, textbooks are expensive and like everything else, they continue to get more expensive every year.
Until a student goes to college, textbooks are often free. If it is the first time you have ever purchased a textbook, the price will probably be a shock. If your only experience with buying a book is paying $12.95 for a paperback novel or $34.95 for a hardcover book that you really want to read, then watching a textbook scan up at $90.00 or more will come as quite a surprise! But textbooks are not produced in the same way as your typical tradebook title. Textbooks have vast amounts of research, technology that changes at the blink of an eye, medical advances that have to be updated and included in new editions, expensive drawings, charts, diagrams and multi-color graphics and pictures. Textbook prices reflect real costs.
THE BOOKSTORE MUST MAKE A TON OF MONEY ON TEXTBOOKS SALES!!
An expensive textbook, surprisingly, does not equate to a large profit for the Bookstore. It’s important to realize that for every dollar you spend, nearly 80 cents goes to the publisher, the author(s) and freight carriers to cover production and shipping costs. The Bookstore makes about 20 cents on the dollar and out of that portion we pay all of the payroll and operating expenses associated with the operation of a college bookstore.
It is very important to realize that once we pay our operating expenses, the DCC Bookstore "gives back" to the college community all remaining proceeds to support a multitude of programs such as:
- LOUIS GREENSPAN DAY CARE
- SUBSIDIZING THE CAFETERIA
- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- CAMPUS ENHANCEMENT
HOW CAN I SAVE MONEY ON TEXTBOOK COSTS?
Many students prefer to purchase used textbooks rather than new. This is one way a student can save money on textbook purchases. The DCC Bookstore carries a large selection of used textbooks which sell for 25% less than new textbooks. This provides you, our customer, with an option and an opportunity to save some money.
Although we secure as many used titles as we can from students and companies whose primary business is selling used textbooks to college stores, it is impossible to carry all the used books customers want and need. Therefore, if you are interested in purchasing used books, shop early to take advantage of the greatest availability of stock.
WHAT IS A TEXTBOOK BUYBACK PROGRAM?
The DCC Bookstore offers a textbook buyback service throughout the year. This is an opportunity for students to recover a portion of their educational costs by selling back textbooks they do not want to keep for future reference. When you sell back your books you provide other students with an opportunity to defray some of their textbook expense. Students are our best source for used textbooks and we prefer to purchase them from you rather than from a used book dealer.
However, not every book has a buyback value. How much money you receive depends on several factors, including:
• General condition of book
• Edition
• Current store inventory
• National demand
• Time of year
• Professor’s orders for next semester
If we have received an order from a department for the next semester and your textbook is going to be used again, we will pay up to 50% for your used textbook until we fill the quantity that we need. If we have not received an order for the next semester your book may still have value.
If your book is a current edition and we have not received an order for it, our buyback computer will check the database of national used book wholesalers to see if they have a value for the book. If your title is listed, the used book wholesaler will usually pay 15-20% of the retail price. It is important to realize that these books are not kept on campus. At the end of our buyback, books bought at these prices are boxed up and shipped to that wholesaler for resale.
Generally speaking, the highest buyback value of textbooks is at the conclusion of each semester when the Bookstore is buying for the next semester. The buyback price is primarily determined by whether the book is being used in the upcoming semester. Buyback is driven by professor’s book orders. The academic department and professor are the most important components in determining what will be bought back at buyback for resale in the Bookstore. We do not choose the books used in courses at DCC therefore, professor orders must reach us before the semester-end buyback so that we can put their books on our list.
Daily Buyback is conducted in the DCC Bookstore located in Dutchess Hall.
Semester-End Buyback is conducted in the DCC Bookstore located in Dutchess Hall.
When is semester-end buyback?
• Usually, the last 3 days of classes through the last day of the exam period.
• Check Online for the actual days and times!
Will I need my register receipt to sell back books?
• No, your receipt is not needed. (Bring Student ID or Drivers License!) However, the books must be in good condition. The covers must be intact and no pages can be missing.
DOES THE BOOKSTORE CHOOSE THE TEXTBOOKS IT SELLS?
Actually, we don’t. Textbooks are selected by academic departments and the professors who teach the courses at DCC. As the departments and professors submit adoptions, the store orders the books that are requested.
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE BOOKS YOU WILL NEED FOR YOUR COURSE(S)?
Come prepared with a copy of your class schedule. This will make it easier for the runners to locate your books and give you the correct text for your class. Without your schedule it will be difficult for us to give you correct books as there are more than one section for each class and many use different texts.
DOES THE BOOKSTORE SOMETIMES RUN OUT OF OR NOT HAVE A BOOK FOR A COURSE?
As a community college, we respond to the needs of the community. On occasion you may find that we do not have the book for your course or perhaps we have run out of it. The reasons for this vary, but are usually due to:
• The publisher is out-of-stock.
• The college has responded to an increased need for a particular course by adding a section during late registration, the week before classes begin. If this happens, the order for this course comes in just before the semester starts and we have to rush books in.
• The professor has changed and is not using the same books as the originally scheduled instructor. This most often happens at the last minute during late registration.
• Honest mistakes.
Whatever the case may be, we make every effort to get the books in as quickly as possible and with as little inconvenience to the student as possible.
PROTECTING YOUR TEXTBOOK INVESTMENT ...
The books for your courses are expensive and we do not want you to be victimized by having your books stolen, therefore...
• Please Do Not Leave Them Unattended Anywhere.
• Once you are certain that you do not need to return or exchange your books, add a unique mark to a page. What do we mean?
Select a page (you pick the page number so nobody knows) and in every book you purchase, make a mark that only you would know. If you "lose" your book(s) you can give the Bookstore or Campus Security the page number and the identifying mark. This will assist with our efforts to try to recover your books.
Remember that your textbooks represent an investment in your education--use them and enjoy your educational experience, but don’t forget to Protect Them!
GENERAL INFORMATION
HOW CAN I PAY FOR MY PURCHASES?
You may pay for your purchases with:
• Cash or Money Order
• Mastercard, Visa, Discover or American Express
PAYING BY CREDIT CARD?
We accept:
Mastercard
Visa
Discover
American Express
We will accept a parent credit card with the following information:
The credit card must be signed by the parent. Please provide a note (with parent signature) giving the store permission to accept the credit card. The parent address and phone number must also be included on the note. If necessary we will call to verify permission.
The student will need their own personal identification and will sign the credit card receipt..
Some important information about our Returns Policy
When it comes to returning a book or supply for an exchange or refund, we do not like to say no, and you certainly do not like to hear it. Help us help you by being aware of the terms and conditions of the Returns Policies.
KEEP YOUR CASH REGISTER RECEIPTS!!
On occasion, you may need to make a return or an adjustment. At the time of purchase, you will be given a copy of the DCC Bookstore Returns Policies. We encourage you to read them, it really is in your best interest to do so.
IMPORTANT . . .
• YOU NEED YOUR CASH REGISTER RECEIPT TO MAKE AN EXCHANGE OR RETURN! Without exception, the proper cash register receipt must be presented to make a return or exchange.
• Be aware of the number of days you have to make a return--the time limits do vary based on the semester or session of purchase.
• Keep your new books in new condition--new books must be in perfect, resalable condition (free from writing, highlighting, dirt, or damage) to receive a 100% refund.
• Some sales are made on a non-returnable, non-refundable basis.
• Shrink-wrapped packages cannot be returned if they have been opened.
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