Official UAA Bookstore: Frequently Asked Questions

by UAA Online Bookstore  |   

  • Who is our course materials provider?
    The UAA Online Bookstore, powered by TextbookX, is a fully digital bookstore operated by Akademos, Inc. Akademos was selected to be the university’s provider for textbooks and course materials for UAA beginning Fall 2020. They were founded in 1999 by a university professor who saw first-hand how the costs and distribution textbook model weakened classroom learning. Today, Akademos has grown to be a fully online textbook and course materials provider with the mission of saving students money on textbooks and providing faculty with a quick and intuitive adoption submission process.
  • How will faculty adopt materials for their courses?

    The integrated bookstore adoption portal at uaa.textbookx.com helps faculty and staff consolidate efforts and quickly submit their information. It is designed to make the adoption of textbooks and course materials for the upcoming academic term easier and more efficient for the entire campus community. Some departments have staff members who collect and coordinate adoptions on behalf of the faculty in the department. Both faculty and staff can adopt course materials through uaa.textbookx.com by logging in with their UAA username and password.  

    Adoptions for the fall 2020 semester will be automatically loaded into the platform using the data previously submitted to the UAA Bookstore. Once loaded, faculty will have an opportunity to review their submissions before course materials are visible for students to purchase.

  • Who do I contact to obtain administrative access to the adoption portal? What training options are available?

    Akademos will be providing a series of training demonstrations for UAA students, faculty and administrators in the coming weeks.

    The adoption portal provides departmental staff access to the system to submit and review course materials on behalf of faculty. Requests for such access should be made by the department chair and include the contact’s name, email, employee ID number and department(s) for access and sent to uaabookstore@akademos.com

    Here is a video playlist with tutorials demonstrating features of the adoption portal. Questions or requests for administrative access can be sent to uaabookstore@akademos.com.

  • Are physical textbooks still available?

    Yes, students can purchase physical textbooks (new, used, rental) and have them shipped to their home or campus residence hall or apartment address. Shipping times to Alaska are estimated at 8-10 days and students are advised to register early for their courses and order their textbooks no later than 2-3 weeks before the start of the semester.

    Ten days prior to the start of class (Aug. 14), the Online Bookstore will only display the eBook format if it is available for an adopted textbook. This feature supports student success by highlighting low-cost digital options available to students almost immediately after purchase.

  • What additional options for materials are available for students?
    In addition to new, used and rental options for textbooks, students also have options to purchase digital products or eBooks, depending on the course material adopted by faculty. 
  • Does UAA still have a physical bookstore on campus?
    No, the university’s only official bookstore is online at uaa.textbookx.com. The online model allows students to save money on textbooks while providing a more convenient shopping option, similar to the ways they already shop online. UAA will continue to operate an online Seawolf apparel and branded merchandise store for FY21.
  • Who should my students contact if they have bookstore questions?
    Students are welcome to contact the UAA Online Bookstore Customer Experience team at uaa.textbookx.com/help where they can find the answer to many of their questions on the help page in their online bookstore account. Customer Experience is available to students 24/7 during peak textbook-ordering seasons. 
  • What options does the Bookstore provide to save students money?
    The Bookstore provides competitive pricing on all course materials. Exact savings will depend on which format a student chooses to purchase. The Online Bookstore offers a price-match guarantee on new books in the instance that students find their course materials advertised at a lower price from a competing retailer. 
  • Does the Bookstore support Open Educational Resources (OER) materials?
    Yes, the UAA Online Bookstore recognizes that developing or using OER materials is one of the ways that faculty members can help students save money on textbook costs. Through the adoption portal, faculty can indicate when a course uses OER/zero cost materials and can provide a note or link to the location where students can access these items directly.
  • Does the Online Bookstore support Day One Digital / Inclusive Access?
    Yes, the Online Bookstore facilitates Day One Digital / Inclusive Access courses. When students log in to the bookstore, they will see information about their Day One Digital course including cost and the date the materials will be available to them. Students can easily opt-out prior to the add/drop deadline if they wish through the eLibrary in their Online Bookstore account.
  • How do instructors adopt Coursepacks?
    Coursepacks are uploaded and adopted through the Online Bookstore Adoption Tool. This Coursepack video explains the steps through which faculty can create and adopt coursepacks.
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