Ordering Textbooks, Course Materials, and Book Buybacks

HOW DO I GET MY BOOKS?

Buy your books online and have them shipped to you or pick up at TW Outfitters, located on the first floor of Reimer Student Centre. Use the “Textbooks” tab on our website (shop.twu.ca) to search for your books by your course. You will see the options for eBooks, New, or Used when they are available. 

CAN I JUST GET MY BOOKS IN THE STORE INSTEAD OF ONLINE?

No. We process orders as they come in and filling a walk-in order disrupts the queue. We might accidentally sell you the last book on the shelf, unaware that someone just bought it online. 

WHEN CAN I BUY MY BOOKS?

Books are available for purchase two weeks prior to the start of classes. However, unless your instructor says otherwise or assigns pre-reading, we recommend waiting until after your first class to purchase course materials to ensure you need them and are buying the correct materials. 

HOW CAN I PAY FOR MY BOOKS?

We accept Visa and MasterCard. If you are unable to pay with a credit/debit card, please put in a help desk ticket or call us at 604-513-2005 during store hours.

I AM A SPONSORED STUDENT, HOW DO I GET MY TEXTBOOKS?

Visit https://shop.twu.ca/sponsoredstudent to order textbooks.   

WHY ARE THERE NO BOOKS UNDER MY COURSE?

If it says No Text Required, your instructor has decided not to list any materials for you to pick up from TW Outfitters. If it says TBA, your instructor might still be deciding on their course materials. You can confirm course information with your instructor on the first day of class. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REQUIRED AND SUGGESTED TEXTBOOKS?

A required textbook is a book your instructor has chosen, which contains necessary reading and material for the course.

A suggested resource is supplemental material to assist in your studies, but is not mandatory for the course. 

This status is determined by your instructor, not TW Outfitters. This is why we recommend you confirm with your instructor before purchasing books, as they may not be eligible for refund. 

MY INSTRUCTOR GAVE ME A BOOK TITLE BUT IT'S NOT LISTED UNDER MY COURSE, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

You can use the search bar to find a book by title but make sure you get the correct edition and author. 

WHY AREN'T MY BOOKS HERE BY THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS?

We appreciate that you are eager to have your books! There are several reasons why your textbook is not availalbe on your first day: the publisher may be out of stock or not have Canadian rights, your department or instructor submitted a late request for your book, enrolment may have increased or a class was added late, and most common right now is shipping delays from Covid-19. These are some of the most common reasons. When there is a delay, we make every effort to geht the books here as quickly as possible. 

If you are outside Canada but planning to be on campus for the first day of class, we recommend you select the in-store pickup option rather than having them shipped internationally.   

WHEN WILL MY ORDER BE READY FOR PICKUP?

Access codes for eBooks are not automatically emailed when you place your order. A followup email receipt, with the code attached, will be sent once the order is processed.

We attempt to have orders processed and ready for pickup or shipping within four hours. Delays are normal during semester rush so orders will be ready the next business day. You MUST bring photo ID and your order number to pickup. It will be emailed to the address you used to place your order, usually your mytwu.ca address. 

HOW LONG WILL MY ORDER BE HELD AT THE STORE?

Your order will be held for 14 days. We'll send an email reminder the day prior to your order being canceled. Orders not picked up will be refunded, minus a 20% restocking fee, and the items will be placed back into inventory.  

WHY ARE TEXTBOOKS SO EXPENSIVE?

Textbooks are different from other books because they contain specialized information that does not appeal to the general reader and therefore are produced for a small market compared to general books that may be produced in the hundreds of thousand or even millions of copies. They can take years to develop because topics are often highly specialized and written by experts in their field. Development costs are high and some come with additional software or study guides that add to the cost.   

WHAT IS A COURSEPACK?

A coursepack is a customized package of articles or readings selected by your instructor. cousepacks are popular as they reduce the number of books a student might otherwise have to buy, thus keeping costs lower. They are non returnable so confirm it's needed before purchase. 


     Textbook Buyback

WHAT ARE BUYBACKS?

During the last week of classes in the fall and spring semester, TW Outfitters will buy back books that are confirmed for continued use at TWU and pay up to 50% of the purchase price. In addition to the books we use, we also purchase books on behalf of the publishers and other schools, up to 30% of the purchase price.   

WHEN CAN I SELL MY BOOKS?

Typically, buyback dates are in November and April, during finals. If you missed a buyback period and have books from a prior semester, you can bring them for appraisal as well. We are happy to consider any books but keep in mind, the older they are the less likely there will be a need for them. We will have a donation bin for any books you can't sell but don't want to keep.  

HOW DO I SELL MY BOOKS?

Bring your books to TW Outfitters during the buyback period to have them appraised and purchased by our crack team of sales associates. Please note, we are unable to confirm if your book will be eligible for buyback over the phone or email.