February 4, 2019
Save money on textbooks: Access yours for free at K-State Libraries
Submitted by Sarah McGreer Hoyt
Thanks to support from a student excellence grant, K-State Libraries help desks continue to offer textbooks and course materials on reserve so all K-Staters can access them at no cost.
If you've never used course reserves, here are the basics: First, determine whether we have the item you need.
- Search online at the Libraries' website.
- Chat with a librarian online.
- Call Library Help at 785-532-3014.
- Stop by Library Help in the K-State Student Union to ask in person.
To borrow a textbook or other course materials, bring your K-State ID and course code to a library help desk to check it out. For example, if you're taking Expository Writing II, let the library employee know you need the material for ENGL 200. It's also important to know your instructor's last name.
You'll be able to check out the material under the conditions specified by your instructor — usually two hours. Free scanners are available if you want to scan the portion of the text you need.
If you don't find your textbook, there are several things you can do to get it added to our reserves collection:
- Consider asking your instructor if they would be willing to place a copy on reserve.
- Stop by Library Help in the Union and ask us to talk to your instructor for you. You'll need to know the course number and instructor's name.
- Contact the Textbook Affordability Program committee via libtap@k-state.edu to ask whether the course meets its purchase criteria. If it does, the committee will use its funds to buy the book for our reserves collection.