Looking for a Textbook?

Looking for a textbook and want a deal? The campus bookstore is a great option for new and used textbooks, but you can always check textbook prices online.

Buy Textbooks
Use so called aggregated search engines, such as Chegg.com, ValoreBooks.com, Directtextbook.com, and Textbooks.com, where you can search for textbooks by title and edition, and compare prices among 50+ online vendors.

Rent Textbooks
Consider renting textbooks from online stores; the prices are reasonable and the rental options are endless – from 3 days to several months.

Borrow Textbooks
And don’t forget about your campus library! Many instructors place textbooks “on-reserve”; this means that you ask for them at the library counter and use them in the library for two hours.

Have a question? Ask a librarian!

Review by Svetlana Kondratenko, SWC Librarian

Do we have your textbook?

The Library has some textbooks on Reserve. The Reserve section is located behind the Circulation Desk and check out is usually for one or two hours, to keep in the library building. The SWC Libraries at Otay Mesa, San Ysidro, and National City also have Reserve sections.

To request an item from the Circulation Desk, you will need to see if we own the book and find its Call Number.

Go to the library's website.
Click on Library Catalog
Use the drop-down menu to search by book title, course, or instructor.
If we own the item, you can click on the title to see more information about it, including its location and call number.

Have a question? Stop by the reference desk, call 619-421-6700 ext. 5381, or chat with a librarian, 24/7.

Do we have your textbook?

National City, Otay Mesa, and San Ysidro libraries own copies of some textbooks. Textbooks may be checked out for in-library use, usually for one or two hours.

To find out if we have your textbook, search the book title in the Library Catalog. Or-- just Ask a Librarian!

Chat with a librarian 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The main SWC library at Chula Vista also has some textbooks on Reserve.

Do We Have Your Textbook?

The Library has some textbooks on Reserve. If we have yours, it will be available for a limited check out (1-2 hours, in-library use only) so that everyone in the class can access it. Photocopies are ten cents per page.

You may search the Library Catalog for your textbook, or stop by the reference desk. Or -- Ask a Librarian via email, phone, or chat!