Textbooks

New Online Bookstore to Save St. Francis College Students 60 Percent on Textbook Costs

• By Rhea Kelly
• 04/30/18

Students at St. Francis College are expected to save an average of 60 percent on their textbooks, thanks to a new deal with online bookstore provider Akademos. Starting this fall, all course materials will be available via the Akademos platform, which offers new, used, rental and e-book formats as well as a peer-to-peer marketplace.

The platform integrates with the college's Ellucian Colleague student information system and Canvas learning management system, allowing students to access a personalized listing of their course materials based on their actual course registration and order textbooks accordingly. Other features include year-round online buyback, a price match guarantee for new textbooks, and free shipping offers.

"We are always looking for ways to give students more time to focus on their studies," said Jose Rodriguez, dean of students, in a statement. "The partnership with Akademos takes away the headache of searching all over the web for the lowest price and gives them a one-stop shop."

The online bookstore also provides an adoption and analytics portal for faculty and administrators, including real-time price comparisons an recommendations for adopting course materials. It also offers data on student purchasing and bookstore utilization, designed to feed into an institution's student success database.