Library Basics

A textbook is a book written primarily for students which support a certain subject area. Accessing a textbook can be different than accessing a regular Library item. You may need to borrow your textbook from the Reserve/Circulation Desk on the Library's lower level; or purchase or rent your textbook. 

Books in our textbook collection are kept at the Reserve Desk on the lower level of the library, and can be borrowed for up to 3 hours.

1. See if your textbook is available for borrowing by searching for the title in OneSearch. Take note of the call number. 
2. Bring the call number to the Reserve Desk. In some cases, the Reserve Desk will be closed. Use the nearby Circulation Desk to pick up your item. 

Library users may utilize our scanners and send scanned textbook pages to an email account, printer, and/or save them a USB drive, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Scanning is free. To avoid copyright infringements, individuals should never scan a complete book.

CUNY has compiled an extensive resource to help students acquire open source, used, and low-cost textbooks. 

Renting textbooks:

• Chegg

• TextBook Rentals

• eCampus

Popular sites for buying new and used textbooks:

• Amazon

• Barnes and Noble

• Half Price Books

• eCampus

Online textbooks:

• VitalSource

John Jay's bookstore is online. Search by course or log in with your CUNYfirst credentials to see a personalized list of your course materials.

The bookstore is not associated with the Library, so please contact the bookstore directly if you need assistance with their services.