Sources for ISBN Information

ISBNDB.com
BookFinder.com 

Federal law mandates that the College publish the list of textbooks used in every course it offers. To comply with this law we’ve modified the course catalog editing system so that faculty and ADCs can enter textbook information for courses. This information will then be displayed on course websites and in the online course scheduler. In addition, the booklist system lets you indicate which local booksellers will be carrying the books. Finally, the system generates a list of textbooks for the library so that it can have a copy of all textbooks on reserve. Be aware that the library and local booksellers become aware of your booklists shortly before add drop begins each semester. Local booksellers will be more likely to have your books available if you contact them directly.

To access the booklist functions, log onto the course catalog editing system, click the link to the current school year, and click your subject area. To work with a particular course, click the Short Title of the course. Scroll down until you see the booklist editing area.

Note that unlike other parts of the course catalog editing system you are always able to change the booklists section, even if the course is in a workflow state--such as publications--where you are normally denied editing access.

Just above the textbook information are three items.

  • Cost: Enter the cost of any required course packs and e-reserve copyrights, up to the maximum amount that we make students pay. If the course pack is optional, do not include its cost.
  • Expected Enrollment: If you plan to use a local book store, you need to indicate the expected enrollment for the course.
  • Is booklist complete?: Check this box if you've finished entering textbook information for the course. No information is sent to a book store or to the library unless this box is checked. Also, no information is sent in the Fall for Spring courses, and visa versa. This box will be automatically unchecked before the start of each semester so even if you enter a year's worth of information in the Fall, you will have to return to check that information before the Spring semester.
      If an instructor adds a textbook after you've checked this box, you must still enter the book so that it appears on the course website. Information about the new book will also be sent automatically to the appropriate book store and to the library shortly before the semester begins.
      If a course has no textbooks you should check this box.

The Books section lets you enter the textbook information. 

  • ISBN: Entering the ISBN is critical. The system takes the ISBN you enter and queries an external database, which returns the following:
    • ISBN
    • Title
    • Publisher & Copyright
    • Authors
    • Price range (based on surveys of various online booksellers).
      This information is displayed on course websites and in the course scheduler the day after you save the ISBN number, though the information from the query is NOT displayed in the book list editor. For your future reference we recommend that you enter the title as well as the ISBN. 
  •  Title: If you don't have the ISBN, or if you simply want to keep track of the title of the book that the ISBN refers to, enter the title of the textbook. Where you have entered an ISBN, the title returned by the external query will take precedence on the course website and in the course scheduler over the title you enter here.
  • Publisher and Copyright: see Title.
  • Authors: see Title.
  • Semester(s): Indicate whether the course will be offered in the Fall, Spring, or Both. Book stores and the library will only be sent information about books for the current semester. 
  •  Sections(s): If a book is not used in all sections of a course, enter the section (e.g., 02) or sections (e.g., 02, 04) where it is used.
  • Book Store: Select the local book store that you want to carry the book. Even if you've already contacted the store, you must enter the textbook information in order for it to appear on the course website. We alert the book stores to the possibility of duplicate orders.
  • Comment: Where a book is only used in a particular section or sections, enter the expected enrollment for that section(s). You only need to enter this information if you are using one of the local book stores. Also, if a text book is not required, enter "Recommended Only."

To enter a second book, click the Add another book button (which may sometimes read Add more values). To save information you've added or changed, click the Save button.