Course Materials

Textbooks | Collecting Money From Students | Use of Copyrighted Materials
Library Course Reserve Materials

Textbooks

Target dates for ordering:
Fall: February 15
Spring: September 15
Summer: January 15

Faculty members are encouraged to submit textbook orders online through the “Faculty Adoptions” link. Have the following information available when you are ready to submit your order:

• Your name and telephone number
• Course and section number (for example, LWR1110.21)
• Author(s)/title(s), edition, publisher
• Any other required course materials
• Approx. enrollment

Choose from the following methods:

• Online textbook adoption at www.purchasebookstore.net/textbook_adoptions.asp
• In person: Mon.–Thurs., 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Fri., 9:00 a.m–4:00 p.m.
• E-mail the information to Purchasebookstore@gmail.com
• Fax the information to (914) 251-6593
• Call the bookstore at (914) 251-6970
• Mail the information to the campus bookstore

Please note:

• Purchase College is required under both the New York State Textbook Access Act and section 133 of the federal 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act Reauthorization to provide textbook information, including costs, to students at the time of registration. The regulations were enacted so that students and parents have accurate information on the costs of books well before a semester begins. Purchase College takes the affordability of college, including textbooks, extremely seriously; therefore, we ask for your cooperation in submitting textbook requests by the deadlines. Requests submitted by the deadline give the bookstore sufficient time to find less costly used books or other alternatives. It also provides students with the necessary information to make informed choices and prepare for the following semester well ahead of time. Students may view textbooks for courses online through the course schedule at the time of advising and registration.
   
  
• Use of electronic books cannot be required unless students are permitted to purchase the book in another format. Electronic book readers like Kindle, which have proven difficult for vision-impaired students to use, are prohibited by the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Faculty must provide accommodations or modifications that permit student to receive all the education benefits provided by technology in an equally effective and equally integrated manner.
   
  
• On July 1, 2009, the New York State Textbook Access Act (Article 15-c of the NYS Education Law) went into effect. This legislation is intended to promote “open and transparent marketing, choice, pricing, and purchasing of course materials” and reduce student expenditures on these materials. Faculty should be mindful of used textbook availability, unbundled course materials, and costly new editions when selecting their course materials, and should place their bookstore orders early. This law also prohibits employees of higher education institutions from benefiting financially by adopting specific course materials required for coursework.

Collecting Money From Students
Faculty members are prohibited from collecting money from students for any purpose, including copying charges, materials fees, field trips, etcetera. Under very limited circumstances, SUNY will authorize course-related fees, which are billed and collected by the Office of Student Accounts. Faculty members should contact their chair or director for further information.

Use of Copyrighted Materials
The Copyright Law of the United States grants owners of copyrights (authors and other creators and publishers) the sole right to reproduce all or part of the work, to distribute copies, to prepare new (derivative) versions based on the original work, and to perform and display the work publicly.

In an effort to ensure continued compliance with the Copyright Law and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), the campus has adopted certain practices (e.g., the DMCA Notice). They apply to all materials that are or can be copyrighted: books; journal articles; literary, dramatic, musical, choreographic, and pictorial works; graphic works; pantomimes; sound recordings; sculptures; and motion pictures and audiovisual works. These categories include reference works (including dictionaries); videocassettes; computer programs, software, and databases; and electronic data and microfilm, etc.

The following sites offer helpful guidelines on copyright and fair use:

• Is It Protected By Copyright?, American Library Association
• When U.S. Works Pass Into the Public Domain, University of North Carolina
• Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom, on the Internet, and the World Wide Web, University of Maryland
• Interactive Guide to Using Copyrighted Media in Your Courses, Baruch College, CUNY
• Author's Permission Guidelines, Univ. of Chicago Press
• Higher Education: Questions & Answers on Copyright for the Campus Community, National Association of College Stores

For further information, please contact your chair or director.

Library Course Reserve Materials
Please refer to Reserves Policies & Procedures on the Library’s site for detailed information. For information on reserving audiovisual equipment for classroom use, please refer to Classroom Technology Services in the Getting Started section.

Updated March 30, 2012

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