Textbook FAQ

How do I know which textbooks I need for my classes?   On our website, www.lutherbookshop.com, enter the department name, course number, and section number. All books required and optional for the course are listed. In our store, textbooks are shelved alphabetically by department name, course number, and section. Book Shop staff is available to help, but you'll have no problem once you know the layout of the textbook area and how to read the shelf tags. When placing an order from our website or purchasing in our store, it is a good idea to have your class schedule (my.luther.edu) with you. Books vary from section to section.

How do I purchase my books from the Luther Book Shop?   You may order books during online textbook reservation, or come into the store to purchase. The dates for online reservation and when we start selling books in our store will be posted on our website. Online purchases must be made using a credit/debit card.  In our store we accept Visa, Discover, Master Card, checks, Nordic Cash (must have money in your account), Luther Gift Cards and even cash.

What is online Textbook Reservation?  By reserving your textbooks, you are ordering your books from the Luther Book Shop site, purchasing them with a credit/debit card, and picking them up on campus when you arrive at Luther. Your books will be pulled, charged to your credit/debit card, and boxed. The benefits to taking advantage of this service are: you have first chance at purchasing used textbooks, you can be certain you are purchasing the correct books for your classes, and it is fast and convenient (one stop shopping!).

What is textbook rental?   Rental is available on selected textbook titles in the Book Shop. You may either choose to purchase or rent the book. If you rent, you are paying a rental fee and returning the text to the Book Shop at the end of the semester; rentals are excluded from textbook buy back. A rental is non-returnable unless you drop the course. Please refer to the textbook return policy. A credit/debt card is required as security when renting a rental title. The book is due back to the Book Shop at the end of the semester. If the book is not returned, this credit card will be charged the price of a used book plus a $15 penalty. If you placed an order on our website during textbook reservation, the credit/debit card you used for your web purchase is the credit/debit card that will be charged if the rental is not returned. In some cases, both new and used copies are available for rent. The Book Shop reserves the right to rent a book in either format. Several e-mail reminders will be sent before the rental is due. The notification will be sent to the e-mail address listed in your customer account. These e-mails are simply a reminder; it is the customer's responsibility to return the rental by the due date. Rentals are available as supplies last. Once all textbooks have been rented/sold, rental on that title will no longer be available.

I ordered my books during online textbook reservation, but one of the titles I was not able to purchase. What do I do now?  If a title is listed but has the note, "Textbook information is not available for this section at this time," the book has not arrived yet. During the textbook ordering process, books we do not have in stock are not able to be placed in your shopping cart. Once you arrive on campus, stop by the Book Shop and check to see if the book has arrived.

I missed ordering my textbooks on your website, now what?  No problem, we sell textbooks in our store. We begin selling textbooks in our store after online textbook reservation has ended.  The exact date is posted on our website. We strongly encourage you to purchase all textbooks at the beginning of the semester. The Book Shop begins returning books to the publishers one month after classes begin.

Are there used books available?  Yes. The Book Shop's goal is to carry the greatest number of used books possible. The Book Shop is committed to selling books at the most competitive prices possible. These copies usually sell first, so shopping early is best. If a book is a new edition, used books may not be available.

What makes some course readers pricey?  A course reader is so much more than photocopies that are bound together at our Document Center. If pages of a textbook are copied, permission from the author and/or publisher has to be granted. A payment to the author or rights holder, called a royalty, is made for each time their work is photocopied. It is like buying parts of a book without buying the whole book. The price of a course reader is the combination of the cost of photocopying and the royalty paid to the author.  

What is the difference between a required and optional textbook? Required textbooks are those books your professor expects you to have to succeed in his/her class. Optional/recommended books are supplemental readings suggested by your professor. It is recommended that you first attend your class and talk with your professor before you buy an optional book.

There is not a book on the shelf, so what should I do?  There are two reasons for this:  1) the book has not arrived. In this case, a green tag stating, "Book has not arrived-please check back" will be in the shelf tag. Check back in a couple of days. Nobody in the class will have this book. Or 2) all copies of the book have sold. The Book Shop takes the class enrollment and the history of sales for each course and orders the quantity accordingly. The store does sometimes sell through all the books and that is why we strongly encourage students to purchase all titles early in the ordering process. We will happily order any book that is sold out. You simply fill out a special order form and pay a $10 deposit. The deposit is taken off the price of the book when it arrives. If you pay the deposit and then decide you do not want the book, the deposit is forfeited.

What is the Book Shop's return policy for textbooks?  Our complete policy can be read HERE. This is a very important policy to know and understand. The exact return dates will be posted in the Book Shop and online.

Why is it important to keep my cash register receipt?  All returns requires a cash register receipt. We strongly encourage you to keep your receipt the entire semester. If you purchased a book from the Book Shop and you find it is defective, the first question we will ask is, "do you have your cash register receipt?" We cannot help you if you do not have a receipt.

When I return a book, why does it have to be in perfect condition?  The Book Shop puts your returned book back on the shelf for someone else to purchase. That new book needs to be in the same condition as every other new book on the shelf. If that book is not sold, it is then sent back to the publisher. The publisher will not accept a book that is not in the same condition as when the Book Shop received it from them. Ultimately, the book is not returnable.

What do I do with my books at the end of the semester?  You may keep your books to build your personal library or sell them back during "Textbook Buyback" for cash.

What is "Textbook Buyback" and how does it work?  Buyback is one way for you to recycle your books on this campus and on other campuses around the country. It is held during exam week and the first days of second semester. Books are purchased by both the Book Shop and a textbook wholesale buyer.  Cash is given for books sold back during Textbook Buyback. Information about Buyback is posted before the event on our website, in the Book Shop and posters on campus.

Why purchase my books from the Luther Book Shop?  1) The Luther Book Shop is institutionally owned.  All revenue the store produces goes directly back to our college. That is important for everyone who attends Luther or is employed by Luther!   2) You can be assured you are purchasing the correct titles and editions for your classes.  3) The convenience-we are one stop shopping. Luther students are the Book Shop's number one priority, so we make your textbook purchasing process as easy and as fast as possible!