UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

For Future Students

FAQ

Textbook Services is in room 241 Chalmer Davee Library.

Our regular hours are Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 4 PM (year round). A few days before classes start each term through the first week of classes we will have extended hours, including limited Saturday and Sunday hours. We also have extended hours during finals week for returning books.

You can call us at 715-425-3106 (if dialing from a campus phone, just dial 3106). Our email is textbookservices@uwrf.edu and our webpage is https://www.uwrf.edu/TextbookServices/.

Textbook Check-out

Students can look up their booklist online, then come to Textbook Services to get their books required for the semester. A photo ID (student ID, driver’s license, passport…) is required when you check out your books.


Once a student has a book list, they gather their textbooks from the stacks. Our books are in numerical order, with a BLUE number representing each title. Once all their books are gathered, the student will go to a checkout terminal, and a staff member will check out the books. Each book has a unique barcode ID assigned to it, and the student is responsible for returning these exact books.

Textbook issue usually starts one week before the first day of classes. The actual days and hours for textbook issue will be on the Textbook Services webpage (https://www.uwrf.edu/TextbookServices/) and posted on the doors of the Chalmer Davee Library about two weeks before classes start.

You must check out your own textbooks. If you are unable to come to Textbook Services to do so, you may have someone else check them out for you, but only with permission from the Textbook Services manager. We also offer the option of mailing textbooks if you are a distance learner.


A friend may return your textbooks for you, without special permission. Please understand that you are still responsible for the textbooks should they be lost, damaged, overdue, or destroyed while in your friend's possession.

If you need to keep a book for course work, you must make arrangements with Textbook Services prior to the due date to avoid fines. We will require you to bring the book in to be renewed for another term.

Student Enrollment Status

All undergraduate and special students (who pay undergraduate fees) may use the textbook rental program. Graduate students enrolled in graduate classes, who use books in our inventory, may rent the books if copies are available. They pay a rental fee based on the cost of each book.


A graduate rental fee ($2-$30 per book, based on the list price of the book) is collected at Textbook Services at the time the materials are checked out. All checkout and return policies still apply. See Student Policies for more information.

Graduate students do not pay a textbook rental fee as a part of their tuition, and they typically purchase their textbooks from the Falcon Shop. Note: Undergraduate students who check out textbooks for graduate students will be charged for these books.

Undergraduate students who are not full-time (12 credits or more) may still rent textbooks. The rental fees are listed under https://www.uwrf.edu/StudentAffairs/SegregatedFees.cfm

We ask that students wait one to two weeks after the first day of classes to check out any extra books. This allows us to ensure all enrolled students have the required materials for class. We will make exceptions to this rule if the book is not being used for the current semester or if we clearly have more than enough copies for the class.

Returns after Dropped Classes

You must return textbooks from dropped classes within four (4) calendar days (includes Saturday & Sunday) from the day you dropped the class. There is a late fee of $5 per book (maximum of $10 per class) for late returned books for dropped classes

If you have an incomplete or extension for any class, let us know before the due date. We will make arrangements for you to renew the book without incurring a fine. These arrangements are made on an individual basis. Fines may not be waived if arrangements are not made prior to the due date.

Costs and Holds

A hold will be placed on your record in eSIS. An overdue notice will be generated one month after the due date, and sent to you at the permanent home address you have listed in eSIS. Books returned after the due date incur fines as stated in policies for students. If books are not returned, you will be billed for the full replacement value of the books.

A textbook rental fee of $83.89 is included within a full-time undergraduate tuition per semester. Part-time undergraduate students pay a lower amount (based on the number of credits they are taking.)
Additional fees may be charged for damaged textbooks and late returns.


Forms of payment accepted include cash, check, money order, debit cards, and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.) We cannot accept American Express or Falcon Dollars.

Most of the time, yes, you may buy any of your textbooks. The exception is if the book is out of print—we need to keep all of the copies possible, since we may not be able to purchase any more. Our price is approximately 80% of List Price, so you are likely going to find it cheaper online (Amazon.com, Abe.com). If you wish to purchase your books, be sure to watch for our textbook sales each semester: October 1-November 30 for the fall semester; February 1-May 30 for the spring semester; June 1-July 31 for summer sessions. You must be a currently enrolled undergraduate student to purchase textbooks.


We also have copies of discontinued books, which are books that were formerly used in classes but have been discontinued in favor of a new edition or different textbook. Many titles are for sale at Textbook Services. Discontinued textbooks are priced from $0.50 to several dollars per copy.

Lost Textbooks

Once you check out a book from Textbook Services, you are responsible for the book until you return it. If the book is lost or severely damaged you will have to pay the full replacement value of the book. Minor damage (e.g. torn cover, slight water damage, lost CD or insert, etc.) will incur a fine between $3 and $25.

Returning a different copy of the book does not excuse a student from the liability of returning the one they initially checked out. If you think you may have gotten your textbook mixed up with another person’s book, you may call Textbook Services at 715-425-3106. We will be able to tell you which copy you are responsible for finding.

How much am I getting out of using Textbook Services?

 

One of the big hidden costs of going to college is buying textbooks for classes. It is easy to rack up hundreds of dollars in books for one semester if you have to buy them yourself. So how much do you save by using Textbook Services?
       National Average to Purchase Texts for 1 Semester: $706.58
       Total Cost in Textbook Fees for 4 Years at UWRF: $701.93
The average cost savings that a UWRF student will see over 4 years is $5,388.97. That money could potentially cover the extra cost of studying abroad for an entire semester!

Still have questions?

If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact us.  You may either call or email.  

textbookservices@uwrf.edu

Contact Us

Textbook Services

textbookservices@uwrf.edu

Phone:  715-425-3106

Fax:  715-425-0678

M-F, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

29 Hagestad Hall

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