Textbooks now available at UNB Saint John bookstore

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Finally, after three semesters, UNB Saint John students are able to purchase their course books through the campus bookstore. 

(Wolfgang Duechtel/The Baron)

In the fall of 2020, the bookstore on campus closed, leaving students to fend for themselves when it came to required texts. Students were able to purchase books through the Fredericton bookstore but faced shipping costs and were unable to sell their used textbooks through the buyback program without being in Fredericton physically. Moreover, if students on the Saint John campus rented books, they not only had to pay for shipping to Saint John but also the shipping to return the book back to Fredericton. 

Where to find the bookstore

The bookstore opened in the fall of 2021 but had yet to sell textbooks before January 6, 2022. Students can purchase books in person in the G. Forbes Elliot Athletics Centre in room 112 or through the bookstore’s website here.  

The method of finding your course’s book is different from the previous website. To find your textbooks on the new website, students can search their course code in the search bar (e.g., ENGL 1001). Orders can be purchased and then picked up in the store or shipped at a flat rate of $10. 

Saving money on textbooks

Textbooks are a financial burden on most students, so a way to lessen the burden is to buy textbooks used. Fortunately, it is good for the environment as well! Most books can be purchased used through the bookstore or a digital version of the book can be purchased as well. Moreover, the UNBSJ textbook Facebook group can be here. Students can buy and sell used textbooks from the campus community through this group.

The bookstore also has reignited their buyback program, meaning the bookstore will buy students’ used books. This can happen in-store, or for a pricing estate, students can email campusstoresj@unb.ca with the titles and ISBN numbers that they plan on selling.  

Criticism 

Although students are generally happy to have a bookstore back on campus, it has come with some criticism. Many students were unaware that the bookstore was changing its website platform from the previous that was through the Follett website.

Additionally, the website was launched only four days before the beginning of classes and was absent altogether for the first semester of the academic year. This was a big inconvenience for many as the emergence of the Omicron variant has hindered students’ ability to return in-person to Saint John following the winter break. 

Emily is in her third-year of Political Science. She loves studying and academics which follows into her research work. She's an avid plant mom and a stern black coffee drinker. When she's not working or doing school work, you can find her listening to 70s music on vinyl and watching Parks and Recreation.