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The Textbook Collection

A collection of course texts procured with you in mind!

What is the Textbook Collection?

You have questions about the Textbook Collection, and we have answers.

Where do I find textbooks?
Textbooks are located behind the front desk at the library's main entrance.  The standard loan period for textbooks is 2 hours.  If two copies are available, one of those copies can be checked out for up to 12 hours. All textbooks are library-use only, and they are usually non-renewable. After waiting a period of one hour, however, the same textbook may be checked out again. 
Books can be searched for in the reserves catalog by title, course title, professor, and department.

What is the difference between the Reserves Collection and the Textbook Collection?  
The Reserves Collection is a program which allows instructors to put class materials on a limited lending status so that all students have fair access to them.  There are three ways an item can be put on reserve.  One way is for professors to lend the library their personal copies of course materials.  A second way is for professors to find course materials in our main library collection and request for them to be temporarily placed on reserve.  The final way is for students or faculty to donate course materials to the library to be put on reserve.  These student and faculty donations comprise the Textbook Collection.

Can I take a textbook home?
Unfortunately we do not have enough copies to make this possible. All textbooks are available for use in the library only.

Can I donate a used textbook?
Used textbook donations are greatly appreciated as long as they are in good condition and are still used in the classroom. 

How do I donate?
Simply bring your donations to the circulation counter during library hours.  We strongly encourage that you fill out our donation form when you drop of your donations.  Textbooks can only be made available if they are searchable in our catalog, so we need some information about them before we can add them to the Textbook Collection.
 

Why is the program based on donation?
The cost of buying and maintaining a collection of textbooks is more than most institutions can fund and maintain. 
Textbooks can cost anywhere from $1 to over $500 each, and additional costs accumulate with maintenance and repair. Plus, new and revised editions come out every few years. It would be impossible for the library to buy textbooks while maintaining funds for research services including electronic databases, scholarly journals, media, and books. That is why the Textbook Collection relies solely on the generosity of others.

The first public library, founded by Benjamin Franklin and the philosophical association, Junto, was funded by each member contributing 40 shillings. These men found this type of collaborative funding allowed for a greater buying power than what a single person could fund alone. It is very possible to have a textbook collection based on donation if everyone is willing to contribute what they can.

Can I request textbooks for purchasing?
Since there is no funding for this program, we cannot guarantee to fill requests students may have for textbooks.

If you still have questions feel free to contact Charlene at: martonic@newpaltz.edu or 845-257-3650.