Textbook costs have risen dramatically in recent years, and many faculty are aware of the burden this can place on students. There have been many articles written about this trend. An excellent source of information is the Student Public Interest Research Group online (Student PIRGs). This group focuses on topics such as hunger, homelessness, and student rights, in addition to the spiraling cost of textbooks.
The Library Can Help
Generally speaking, library collections support and complement the curriculum. Therefore, the library does not, as a rule, acquire textbooks for the permanent collection except in cases of specific reference need.
Many faculty members find ways to make textbooks available to their students through the library as
Please understand that due to copyright law the faculty and the library cannot simply make all textbooks available to students.
Talk to a Librarian
Not sure if your textbook is available through the library? Ask a librarian for help. You can talk to one of us in person, on the phone, or by email, text or chat. Just go to
Other Options
Use the links below to check out some options available to you outside of the SU Library. All the links are in alphabetical order and are not ranked by any other consideration.
These are commercial sites and we cannot guarantee their services, products or security. If you have had a bad experience with one of them, feel free to notify us!