Professors

Professors,

Your students, our customers want accurate information, prefer to have their books available for immediate pickup, and need to purchase them at the lowest available price. Our intention has always been to make this possible by employing technology to access many sources for textbooks and manage our inventory in a way which makes the "ideal offering" possible. Professors play a key role in the convenience and cost of obtaining textbooks - and we hope you will partner with us to bring the best possible circumstances to students.

The Textbook Alternative has invested considerable resources in this improved website, with four goals in mind:

• Make it easier for professors to find out what books are scheduled to be ordered for their class.
• Make it easier for professors to communicate their wishes about book adoptions to us, and to their students.
• Reduce the amount effort required to transmit book adoptions and improve the timeliness of book adoptions.
• Offer the students with more and better options for obtaining their books.

We have several features which we hope will accomplish these things:

• There are "professor accounts" which provide more direct access to us through an email, a form, and as usual -- you are welcome to call.
• You can now easily browse the adoptions for your class.
• Upon locating a book, professor accounts may post comments in a section of the page labeled "Professor Comment". We hoped you would use this section to communicate the extent to which the students will need the book, your thoughts on its value vs. other books, whether old editions of this book will be acceptable, and the like.

And as always, here are some tips for making the book ordering process as painless as possible for you, and inexpensive as possible for students:

• Convey your book needs to us as soon as you can. The earlier bookstores know book needs, the more used copies can be kept in circulation, and the more of them will end up in the hands of your students rather than those of other schools.
• Please make it clear in your book order whether books are required.
• Old editions are typically very similar to newer ones. There are often compelling reasons to adopt the most recent addition of a book -- but if not, your students will save money purchasing an old edition. If we know this with enough lead time, we can locate enough of copies of older editions.
• Please make clear whether online or electronic materials are necessary. They are often the most costly part of a book or package.

We will make the information you provide public on this website. We are open minded to sharing the information you provide to 3rd parties in a universal electronic form, as well. And above all, please communicate with us, we love that!

Our thanks ahead of time for your efforts,
Rich, Terry, Bryce
Textbook Alternative Management

The Textbook Alternative
222 W. Michigan St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-636-8398