Textbooks
Welcome, students! Starting this Fall and Spring semesters, you will receive all of your required books, by default, through our Day 1 Textbook Access (D1TA) program.
With D1TA, you receive instant access to your textbooks by the first day of classes for a flat rate. The price is $250 for full-time students and $165 for part-time students.
Participation in the D1TA program is not mandatory and you have until the deadline to add/drop classes without approval to opt out. If you prefer, you can still shop for textbooks separately and utilize our online price comparison tool. Please just remember to opt out of the D1TA program if shopping for books separately.
Please keep an eye out for emails 1-2 weeks before classes start regarding access and opt out information. This information will also be available through the MyTextbooks Hub in Canvas.
Shop Textbooks Separately
If you prefer to shop for your textbooks separately, use the link above to get started. Simply select your classes, select your textbooks, compare prices (with the online marketplace), add to cart (whether from the Bookstore or from Amazon, Chegg, etc.) and check out.
All textbooks are physical books unless you see (DIGITAL) in the title of the book. Please read below regarding the difference in digital textbooks and how you’ll receive them if shopping for books separately.
An e-book is a textbook in digital format. It is no longer just a plain PDF. With our digital provider, VitalSource, e-books now contain features such as highlighting and note taking capabilities. If available, e-books can be purchased on our BeachBook Compare website under "From CSULB Digital Bookstore Provider", or students can Shop CSULB Digital Textbooks directly.
A courseware is an adaptive learning technology product which contains homework, quizzes, and/or tests. Examples of courseware include Achieve, Connect, MindTap, MyLab, Revel, WebAssign, and WileyPlus. Courseware products usually include the e-book on the publisher's platform.
Digital items are sold as physical codes or emailed to you by VitalSource or RedShelf, depending on the title and vendor. Digital items will contain the word “DIGITAL” towards the end of the title.
Physical Codes – The author will contain the words “PHYSICAL CODE”. If purchased via web order, these will be either shipped or available for pick up depending on the shipping method you select. If purchased in-store, these will be available at the Front Registers. Access instructions will be provided along with the code.
VitalSource - The author will contain the word "VITALSOURCE". If purchased via web web order, access instructions will be emailed to you from notification@mail.prismrbs.io. If purchased in-store, access instructions will be printed on the bottom of the receipt.
RedShelf – The author will contain the word “REDSHELF”. If purchased via web order, access instructions will be emailed to you from notification@mail.prismrbs.io. If purchased in-store, access instructions will be printed on the bottom of the receipt.
Other Information
Please visit our Returns Guidelines page for our refund policy.
When renting a textbook, you will need to provide a CSULB student ID, as well as a credit card that does not expire before the rental due date. Whether renting in-store or through a web order you will also need to agree to our rental agreement. For information on rental returns, please visit CSULB Bookstore Rental Returns.
Purchased your textbooks separately? We pay CASH for books. For more information, please visit Sell Textbooks.
If you are purchasing textbooks with funds for DOR or Veteran Services, please visit DOR and Veteran Accounts.
