SIU myTextbooks

Students will be notified at the point of course registration, and all participating students will also receive communications to their SIU email address providing them with all necessary program information, including deadlines and fees.

Be on the lookout for the following emails with the following subject lines:

• Important Information Regarding your Course Materials for the Upcoming Term | Faculty & Students
• Your Order is Ready for Pick-Up | Students with physical materials

Once you register for your courses, you are automatically enrolled in myTextbooks. You will receive confirmation emails to your SIU email sharing details on how to access your digital course materials in MyCourses. If you have physical course materials, the University Bookstore will communicate with you when you can pick up these materials.

Depending on the classes and the course materials required, you may receive a combination of digital course materials, physical textbooks, printed lab manuals, or workbooks.

Only materials identified by the faculty as "required" are included in the program as necessary for the course. Instructors may also suggest items that may be helpful for the course as "recommended" materials, which may be available for purchase separately online or at the University Bookstore. Required supplies such as lab supplies, calculators, etc., are not covered by myTextbooks.

If you add or drop a course, that information is automatically transmitted to the University Bookstore.

• Added courses: Within 24 hours of adding a course, students will receive an email at their SIU email with details to access their digital materials and/or if their materials are already provisioned directly into MyCourses. If the course requires physical materials, students will receive an email to their SIU email letting them know when the new print materials are ready for pick-up.
• Dropped courses: For courses dropped prior to the last day to drop/add/opt-out/opt-in deadline, access to electronic or digital materials will be automatically disabled. If the course requires physical materials, they must be returned to the University Bookstore unless otherwise stated.
  • Note: If you drop a course from your schedule on or before the last day of the drop/add period for this term (check the academic calendar), your account will automatically be fully refunded for digital materials. Print materials must be returned to the University Bookstore before your account can be refunded.

Required physical materials can be kept by the student at the end of each term and do not have to be returned. Digital materials can be accessed for a minimum of 180 days and may be available for a longer period based on the material adopted and the publisher’s terms.

If you need more assistance, you can find additional resources, support articles, and self-help tools on Follett's customer support page, email us at mytextbooks@siu.edu, or call use at (618) 536-3321. You can use the friendly chatbot in the bottom right of the page to be guided through tools for your specific questions.

Faculty should ensure any materials they want included in the myTextbooks program are marked as “Required”.  Materials that are designated as “Recommended” will not be included in the program but should still be adopted as they will be available for students to purchase at the University Bookstore as needed.

Note: Supplies that are not classified as books are not included in the program. These must be purchased separately by students.

The myTextbooks program is a digital-first program, meaning that students will receive digital versions of their required materials by default. If only physical materials are available, the University Bookstore will prepare these for students to pick up – with their student ID – or have them shipped for an additional fee.

If faculty would like to use a physical textbook for pedagogical reasons, they still have this option but will need to work with the University Bookstore.

The instructor needs to adopt the textbook for both semesters to ensure that students have access to the course material. On the textbook adoption form, the instructor should indicate that it is a continuation course.

The opt-out deadline always aligns with the last day of the add/drop period each term. If no action is taken, students will automatically be enrolled and charged for course materials.

These costs are typically out-of-pocket for students and not covered by the program. You may confirm specifics with the Follett representative.