If textbooks are not listed on our website for a course, then the professor has not requested any books to date or may not be requiring any materials for the course. Do not buy books required by a similar course since textbooks vary for each professor. Check the website again closer to the start of classes to see if your course listing may have been updated, or wait until you speak with your professor.

RQ - Required material needed for the course
RC - Recommended from the instructor for additional material not required for course
O - Optional material not required but would be helpful for course
CH - Choose one of two or more options. Between a Book, Bundle, or Access Code
SP - See Professor for your material. Your instructor will give you instructions on what is needed
OP - Out of Print material selected by Instructor. Likely material is not available or limited in supply
ES - Ebook Substitute is available or only option available
NT - No Text required for this course and is not needed for class
CA - Cancelled course
BR - Bookstore Recommend material that will help with studying but not required material for course
OE - Open Educational Resource that is available online for free

AS - Access Codes only with no print material included
BDL - Bundle that has material with Access Code and/or Printed Material included in bundle
PKG - Package which has Printed Material, Access Code, and/or Additional Product included as a package
KIT - Kit that may have fabric, art supplies, or other required materials
LL - Loose Leaf printed material
HB - HardBack printed book
Custom - Custom printed material mostly not available at other locations or on the web

When a professor indicates a textbook is “Required”, it means that the book is an integral part of the lesson plan for the course and not having it would make the course much more difficult. If a textbook is marked “Recommended” or “Optional”, it means the material is supplementary to the lesson plan and will enhance your overall understanding of the course material. If there is more than one option for course materials, you will see “Choose One” on the shelf tag. This simply means that an option is required, but you can choose between the options available based on your preference.

Yes. You will need to create an online account for the bookstore website that will be used by the store for processing and shipping information.

Our system lists used prices online regardless of availability due to daily inventory changes. Used books are not guaranteed to be in stock. To increase your chances of getting used copies, place your order as early as possible. If a used book is not in stock, please see the Textbook Office about status and reordering possibility.

Your total charge can differ from your confirmation email because of price fluctuations in the textbook. It can also differ if you have selected "Used Preferred” as opposed to “Used Only” " and we do not have a used copy of the textbook you need. We will substitute a new copy to complete your order and vice versa. This will cause price changes and will be reflected on your invoice upon fulfillment.

If a textbook that you have ordered online is out of stock, we will process it as soon as our incoming shipments arrive in store. If we do not have any outstanding orders for a textbook, we will special order a copy for you and contact you upon arrival. If a textbook that you are looking for in store is on backorder, please see the Textbook Office to find out the status of the book.

Textbooks could be cancelled for payment rejection or if you have selected no substitutions for an item and we didn’t have the appropriate stock to fulfill the order. If you have selected "No Substitutions" for your order and we do not have the item requested available, then that item will be cancelled from your order. To prevent cancellations, select "Ok to Substitute". By doing this, you are agreeing to purchase a new book if a used book is not available. Please see the comment field on your order for information about your cancellation.

When you place your order, you can choose to have your order shipped to you or to be picked up in store. Orders are available for pick up at the web order counter in store during normal business hours. Web orders are pulled and processed Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Typically orders ship 1-2 business days after they are placed except during high volume periods at the start of the semester. You will receive an email notifying you that your order has been processed for shipment or is ready for pick up in the store.

Yes. Please contact the store to cancel your web order and come to the store to purchase your books in person for faster service.

Class notes & lab manuals are printed and bound specifically for our university. A professor may opt for class notes if they require readings from several different textbooks or journals or have their own authored material. In the event that these items are sold out, please contact the Textbook Office for reordering.

PKG is an abbreviation for package and indicates that the book comes with supplemental materials that are required for the course. Typically, a package is only available new and the supplemental materials may be study guides, solution manuals, or access codes. ACS CODE is an abbreviation for Access Code and is only available new. Most access codes come with an eBook & supplemental material, but it determined by class use. BDL is an abbreviation for Bundle, which is usually a set of books or supplemental materials, but do not contain a digital product. Bundles can be used or new.

All non-text required items can be found in the supplies department of the store.

eTextbooks are only available for a limited subscription period – similar to renting a physical book. Printing capabilities may be limited. Refunds are limited. For some eTextbook providers and specific eTextbooks, accessibility accommodations may be limited.

eTextbooks can be purchased in-store or online at www.gsustore.com. eTextbooks purchased online will be available for reading immediately after checkout. eTextbooks purchased in-store will need to be activated using a code printed on the receipt and will be available immediately after activating.

To activate your eBook or digital access purchased in store:
1.Go to GSUStore.com
2.Click “My Account” in the top right-hand corner
3.Log In or Create an Account
4.Click the “Activate and Access eBooks” link
5.Click the link for in-store purchase
6.Select either RedShelf or VitalSource based on your receipt
7.Type in the CODE from your RECEIPT – 16 digits
8.Click on the Image Box
9.You will have immediate access or be given a second code for the publisher’s

** Make sure you activate within 14 days

** If you receive an error message that your code is marked as inactive or invalid, submit a ticket at Solve.Redshelf.com or Support.Vitalsource.com and your issue will be solved within a few business hours


To access your eBook or digital access purchased online:
1.Go to GSUStore.com
2.Click “My Account” in the top right-hand corner
3.Log In To access your eBook or digital access purchased online
4.Click the “Activate and Access eBooks” link
5.Click on the Image Box
6.You will have immediate access or be given a second code for the publisher’s website.

eTextbooks are eligible for a full refund within one week from the beginning of classes if: no more than 10% of the eTextbook content has been viewed and/or printed; the access code for any online resources, included with the eTextbook, has not been viewed; and if you have not "checked out" any part of your eTextbook to view offline.

Here are our recommended browsers (we recommend Google Chrome for the best experience):
Google Chrome (Win/Mac/Android)
Safari (iPad/iPhone/Mac)
Firefox (Win/Mac)
Edge (Win/Mac)

*We do not recommend using Google Chrome on iPad and iPhone devices*

eTextbooks may be read on the following browsers: Online Viewing: *IE 7.0 or higher (Windows) *Firefox 3.5 or higher (Windows/Mac) *Safari 3.0 or higher (Mac) *Chrome Offline Viewing: *Firefox 3.6 or higher (Windows/Mac)

Yes. eTextbooks are compatible with computers, tablets, or mobile phones.

eTextbooks will work on Kindle Fire, Chromebook, iPads, or Android tablets with OS 3.0 or higher. eTextbooks are not compatible with the original Kindle.

You will need internet access to "check out" or "check-in" chapters of your eTextbook. Once you have checked out your eTextbook chapters, you can read them offline without an internet connection.

There is also an overall limit to the number of pages you can print depending on your specific eTextbook. The eTextbook provider will have more information about the percentage of the book that can be printed or the select pages available for print.

This is specific to the eTextbook provider and specific eTextbook.

Expirations vary, but most eTextbooks subscriptions purchased through the bookstore will last for 180 days (6 months) or for the lifetime of the edition of the textbook. After the subscription period, you will no longer be able to access the content.

Online versions of eTextbooks can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection. Chapters that have been checked out for offline viewing can only be accessed from the computer on which the chapters were downloaded. You can use up to 2 computer and 2 mobile devices for most eTextbooks.

No. eTextbooks are all about upfront savings. Instead of wondering how much your book will be worth at end-of-term buyback, you get your money up front in the form of savings on your initial purchase.

For questions related to your eTextbook usage, please submit a ticket at Solve.Redshelf.com or Support.Vitalsource.com and your questions or issues will be resolved within a few business hours