Textbook and Desk Copy Ordering

This textbook policy is for the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures only. If you are with another CU Boulder department, please contact the administrative staff there to find out policies and procedure for textbook and desk copy orders.

GSLL (Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures) Desk Copy Policy -- implemented January 2012, revised September 2016

If faculty members do not order complimentary desk copies from the publisher or the desk copies do not arrive on time, then faculty members are responsible for purchasing books for themselves and for the TA(s). Faculty members with research accounts may use them to pay for these books.

Textbook Ordering Deadlines by semester
Summer:  March 15
Fall:  April 1
Spring:  October 1

Ordering Textbooks (for students in your class)

Your options to submit your textbook orders to the CU Bookstore:

  1. Email bookstore (textbook@cubookstore.com) and cc gsll_assist@colorado.edu).  Include department, semester/year, course/section number, estimated enrollment, phone, ISBN, author, title, year/edition, publisher.  For each book, indicate if the book is optional or required.  The book store will order 10% of estimated enrollment for any optional books.  If you would like them to order a different number, please indicate how many you would like them to order.  
  2. Order online at www.cubookstore.com Click on “faculty” at the top of the page (make sure you are submitting books for the correct term). Send Casey a copy of the information.

Note from bookstore in light of the budget crunch: The amount of additional expense the bookstore and the University incur as a result of late adoptions is fairly staggering so please make every effort to get me your orders by the due date.

You are free to order books from other sources in addition to the CU Bookstore (see CU policy below).  

Policy on Faculty Notification to Campus Bookstore of Required Texts
"In order to maintain a single central source of complete information directly accessible by CU-Boulder students, all CU-Boulder faculty shall inform the University of Colorado Bookstore of all required textbooks (graduate and undergraduate) for their courses.  Faculty are expected to provide this information to the University of Colorado Bookstore with customary timeliness with respect to established deadlines.  It is also strongly recommended that faculty notify the CU Bookstore of all recommended undergraduate course texts as well.  Faculty may inform any other textbook sources of their course readings, but they may not require students to purchase books from any particular vendor."

Ordering Desk Copies (for yourself and/or teaching assistants)

GSLL Faculty will order any necessary desk copies for themselves and teaching assistants directly through the publisher.

If complimentary desk copies are not ordered from publisher in advance, faculty members are responsible for purchasing books for themselves and for the TA(s). Faculty members with 1k accounts may use them to pay for these books.

Due to increased scrutiny from publishers, you will be able to order desk copies only for:

  • required texts ordered for the first time
  • required texts for which you have not received a desk copy for at least three years 

Publishers will generally not provide desk copies for optional texts.

Publishers outside the U.S. and some smaller publishers will not provide complimentary desk copies (department will pay for copies in these instances).

Go to the publisher’s website and search for desk or exam copies. Fill out the online form.

Information you will need to provide:

  • course and section number(s)
  • estimated enrollment(s) per section
  • ISBN
  • author
  • title
  • year/edition
  • number of desk copies needed if more than one (for lectures with recitations/teaching assistants). 
  • Mailing address of department: 1505 Pleasant St, McKenna Bldg Room 130, Boulder CO 80309
  • your office phone number (or the department’s phone: 303-492-7404)

For publishers outside the United States or a small publisher who will not provide a complimentary desk copy, order extra in your textbook order to the CU Bookstore. Factor in the number of desk copies needed (eg. lecture with recitations/ 1 for instructor,1 copy per teaching assistant) so that there are still enough textbooks for enrolled students. At the beginning of the semester,  use your procurement card (“A-card") tax exempt or obtain an interdepartmental invoice from Casey and pick up your books from CU Bookstore. 

The GSLL department will pay for desk copies
1) when the publisher will not provide them complimentary
2) you have not received a desk copy for that book within the past three years and
3) you did attempt to obtain a copy from the publisher first.