Purchasing Textbooks Policy

     

The NJIT libraries do not purchase textbooks required for courses offered at NJIT. Students are responsible for purchasing their own textbooks.

Why NJIT libraries do not purchase textbooks for use by students?

The average college textbook costs $237. Since the 1980s, the cost of textbooks has increased 900%. It would cost the NJIT library over $1,300,000 to purchase a copy of the textbook for each of the approximately 5,500 classes being taught each semester. Getting multiple copies and keeping up with the new editions published each year would be unsustainable.

Does the library have any textbooks that I can borrow? 

  • Faculty members may elect to donate textbooks to the library. Faculty members may also elect to place textbooks on temporary reserve in the library.
  • The library will, however, purchase quality, academic-level books on topics that support the NJIT curriculum. Some of those books may be required or suggested reading for NJIT courses. The library makes no attempt to systematically purchase all such books.
  • Search Course Reserve to see if there are any textbooks available for students to borrow.

What is the definition of a textbook? And how do textbooks differ from “quality, academic-level books that may be required or suggested reading for NJIT courses”?

  • Textbooks typically contain examples, practice exams, problems, and so forth.
  • Textbooks are typically reissued in updated editions each academic year.
  • Textbooks are typically organized with a 14-week teaching cycle in mind.
  • Textbooks typically have a companion teacher's edition.

Where can I go to access, rent or purchase textbooks?

Revised on Nov, 2014
Approved at the Aug 13, 2002, Librarians Team meeting