Looking for Textbooks?

As a rule of thumb, Penfield Library doesn't usually buy textbooks. However, there's an exception to every rule--plus sometimes people donate textbooks to us, or professors let us borrow them for the semester. 

If you just want to know what textbooks you need, check out the College Store. But if you want to know whether the library has any of your books, read on!

Course Reserves

If the library has the exact edition you've been assigned, it will be in course reserves.

There's a link to course reserves on the library homepage. You'll have to login with your Laker NetID and password (what you use for Blackboard), but after that you can search for your classes to see if we have your books. 

Other Possibilities

• If we have an older edition of your textbook, it won't be on reserve. You can check for older editions by searching your textbook's title in the main search box on the library homepage. 
• Depending on the book, how quickly you need it, and how long you need it for, you might be able to request it from another library. Here's more information about textbooks and interlibrary loan.

And of course if you're not sure about any of this, you can always ask a librarian.