San Jose City College Library Online Support

Course Textbooks at the Library

Selected Course Textbooks are on Reserve (either in print or as eTextbooks) at the SJCC Library. Search the library catalog for reserves and contact a librarian/library staff member to confirm availability. 

Send availability questions to sjcc.library@sjcc.edu or use our Live Help to connect with a librarian directly.  

NOTE: Due to limited number of textbooks, the library cannot guarantee availability of your required textbook. Please refer to resources listed below for free or low-cost alternatives.

Textbooks are not cheap but you need them if you want to excel in your classes.  To save money on textbooks

the library is providing a few tips and locations where you many find cheaper versions.

Tips to Try

• Rent instead of by. ( See a list of websites below).
• Buy used.
• Buy the book from another student who has taken the class before.
• Check with the SJCC Library to see if they or other local libraries have the book or e-book.
• Request the book through ILL. (These items can take two weeks to arrive and have short loan periods).
• Check with your professor if it's okay to use an earlier edition.
• Sell your old textbooks to fund you new books.

NOTE:  Some textbooks come wit a digital access code that you need to access quizzes, tests, and

assignment.  If your class requires this code, you will need to buy a new textbook.

How to Buy Used Textbooks

If you decide to buy a used textbook, make sure to keep the following in mind:

• Order the right edition of the book.
• Search by ISBN whenever possible.  You're more likely to get the right copy.
• Be careful with foreign editions.  They may be cheaper, but the content (particularly assignments and
• quizzes) can be different
• Read up on the used copy's condition-some books are like new, others will include highlighting and notes
• in the the margins.
• See where the book ship from-if the book is coming from overseas, it many not arrive in time.
• Consider shipping costs.
• Look at multiple used copy listings before picking one to buy.

You can find used textbooks on the following websites:

• Addall                                                     Paperbackswap 
• Alibris                                                     Chegg**                        
• Allbookstores                                        Ebay        
• Amazon**                                               Ecampus 
• Barnes and Noble**                              Textbooks 
• Campusbooks    

(**) You can find used textbooks on the following websites:

"Adapted from Glendale Community College Library Updates (CC BY 4.0)."