The York University Bookstore needs faculty and staff to submit their Fall 2021 and Fall/Winter 2021-22 textbook requirements as soon as possible. To assist with planning, textbook adoptions for the fall term should be submitted by the end of June.
New requirements for the summer term should be submitted immediately. To place a textbook order, visit the Textbook Requisition Service at bookstore.yorku.ca/site_faculty.asp?.
New innovations and survey results
This was a challenging year for everyone, and the Bookstore team adjusted their approach in many ways, including some exciting changes that will continue into the future with the focus on 21st-century learning.
The Bookstore team re-engineered processes to operate like a distribution centre and have improved capabilities for ecommerce considerably in the past year. In the past 12 months, team members have picked, packed and shipped almost 55,000 online orders, with a turnaround time of under 24 hours during the busiest periods.
Students have two options for how to receive their order: either through in-person pickup (by appointment) or shipped by courier. Data collected from York University students in two online surveys completed by the York University Bookstore in September 2020 and January 2021 revealed that student satisfaction this year was very high with both approaches.
- For pickup, 96 per cent of students said the overall experience met or exceeded their expectations. The Bookstore team worked to make sure the process was safe, with no wait times and the entire process taking each student between one to three minutes.
- For students who opted to have their textbooks shipped, 92 per cent said that the amount of time it took to receive their order either met or exceeded their expectations.
- These key changes have been noticed by York students, with 91 per cent saying they were pleased with the experience and a substantial number of students answering that they preferred the remote delivery approach compared to prior years when the Bookstore operated with in-person service.
For the coming year, the Bookstore plans to continue to offer a no-cost pickup option for online orders and subsidized low-cost delivery, including Canada-wide shipping for $2.99 and new subsidized international shipping rates for students studying abroad.
Making the transition to digital
Student demand for digital course materials has increased significantly this year. The Bookstore has a broad selection of course materials available in digital format. Digital format now represents about 40 per cent of all materials the Bookstore provides to students. When a title is adopted through the Bookstore, the process is managed entirely by the Bookstore and the title is made available in digital format if it is possible. For more information about digital options, visit bookstore.yorku.ca/sell_access_codes.asp?.
Students have told the Bookstore that digital materials help in many ways, including the following:
- Day one access helps students to be successful in the course – 74 per cent of York students surveyed said that using a textbook or e-book helps them to be successful in the course. Of those surveyed, 70 per cent said that having access to the book on the first day of classes helps them more.
- Students prefer e-books because it saves them money – 79 per cent said that the price was either very important or critical in determining their use of an e-book or digital material.
- Easy access matters for e-books – 81 per cent of students said that “how easy it is to access the e-book to read” was a top influence in selecting an electronic format.
- Privacy is critical – when asked which factor is most critical, students said “protecting their personal information” was key.
The York University Bookstore is currently working on a new prototype for digital delivery called “Inclusive Access.” In the coming months, the University community will likely hear more and more about it. The approach allows Bookstore staff to deliver digital course materials through the course shell in eClass, Moodle or Canvas, at the lowest possible price, charging the cost of the material through an Associated Course Fee. Of interest, when the Bookstore described methods of digital delivery to York students, 77 per cent said they prefer Inclusive Access. To learn more, visit bookstore.yorku.ca/site_inclusive_access.asp?.
The York University Bookstore is considered a leader in the industry for how its team has innovated this year. The Bookstore’s practices have been adopted at countless other universities and colleges in Canada.
For more information, visit bookstore.yorku.ca/default.asp?.