students looking at textbook together

Textbooks and Course Materials

Whether you need textbooks or course materials or some San Jacinto College apparel, we have you covered. Find affordable textbook options in one of our campus bookstores or shop online. Or save even more by enrolling in an Open Books program with free or low-cost online course materials.

Bookstores

Easy. Affordable. Fun.

Access textbooks, course materials, and much more.

We’ve teamed up with Barnes & Noble to make course materials shopping even easier. Course materials are available online as well as at our campus bookstores. No matter how you buy, there are options for new, used, and rentable course materials. And if you choose to buy your books, you can sell them back at the end of the semester. If you’re renting books, use one of our pre-addressed shipping labels to mail them back to campus when you’re finished.

Input your schedule or search by course to find the textbooks you need.
Bookstores

We’ve teamed up with Barnes & Noble to make course materials shopping even easier. Course materials are available online as well as at our campus bookstores. No matter how you buy, there are options for new, used, and rentable course materials. And if you choose to buy your books, you can sell them back at the end of the semester. If you’re renting books, use one of our pre-addressed shipping labels to mail them back to campus when you’re finished.

Input your schedule or search by course to find the textbooks you need.
Bookstores
You are able to use authorized financial aid at the bookstore. Just remember that there is a delay for the funds to be available in the bookstore’s system. Funds will only be available at the bookstore 24 hours after your aid has been posted to your account in SOS.
To use your financial aid to buy books, please bring:
  • Your student ID (available at Enrollment Services) or your driver's license
  • A printed copy of your fee schedule (available in SOS).

You do not have to wait until financial aid funds are posted to your selected refund preference with BankMobile to purchase books or supplies at the campus bookstore.

Check out your financial aid options.
Financial Aid

We didn’t only team up with Barnes & Nobles to bring you an easier course material shopping experience. Our collaboration has also made our bookstores more comfortable. 

We’re the first two-year college to have a Barnes & Noble café on campus. The new atmosphere gives students, faculty, and the community an even more enjoyable campus experience. Stop by and grab a snack or a cup of coffee between class or while you shop!

Get more information about Barnes & Nobles’ publishers and privacy policy.
Barnes & Noble Privacy Policy
Textbook Support

Savings on course materials? Yes Please!

We want to make learning affordable. The Open Books Program focuses on “affordable learning” by working with faculty to identify and select quality low- or no-cost resources, so you can focus on studying and not expenses. Courses offering Open Books are offered on-campus and online, whose course materials are are accessible online. Just use your SOS account or the Course Finder to search for Open Books courses.
Log into SOSCheck the Course Finder

Find Your Open Books Fit

There are three levels of Open Books courses. They are all available to any San Jac student and offer different types of financial assistance.

Open Books No Cost

Courses that have adopted Open Books No Cost (SJC Open Books) materials use only free, online educational resources. This means there’s no cost for you. These courses will display this information in the class schedule; all you have to do is register for the class. The free materials will be available to you through Blackboard on the first day of the semester.

Open Books Low Cost

Total of all course materials required for an Open Books Low Cost course will cost no more than $50. These courses display their Open Book Low Cost standing in the class schedule. Once you register, you must buy your course materials at a San Jac bookstore to guarantee the low price of your books. 

Open Books Plus

The Open Books Plus option helps you save money upfront. It includes the lowest price for the digital course materials as a charge on your tuition statement. 

Classes with these materials display that information in the class schedule. If you register, you will be automatically enrolled in the program. Your course materials will be available through Blackboard on the first day of the semester. You also have the option to opt-out of the Open Books Plus program through Blackboard for each class if you choose to find materials elsewhere.

Open Books: So Much To Gain

Video Textooks

 

The Real Savings

We rolled out the Open Books Program in 2017 and estimated it would save students $3.5 million through 2020. It turns out that way more students and faculty have embraced the program than anticipated — resulting in more savings for students.
61%
In spring 2023, 61% of course enrollments benefitted from Open Books. savings.
$32.3 million
in student savings from fall 2017 to spring 2023.
600
faculty members have taught Open Books classes from 2017 to 2020.
Read the Story

4 Steps to Open Books Classes

It’s easy to find classes that offer the Open Books program! You can even earn an entire degree without purchasing a single book (see FAQs below)! Just follow these simple steps.

  1. Open San Jac’s Course Finder

    Course Finder

  2. Choose Your Search Criteria

    Narrow down your search by entering fields such as the subject and semester.

  3. Scroll Down to Advanced Search

  4. Choose the Open Books Option

    You’ll be able to choose from all three Open Books types. Hit “Search,” and a list of classes will appear.

Open Books FAQs

 

When you register for a course that is part of the Open Books Plus program the cost of your course materials will automatically be part of your tuition statement. You must  opt out of this fee by 5 p.m. on the day of the opt-out deadline. You can find the opt-out deadline on our Dates and Deadlines page. Refunds are issued according to San Jac’s standard refund policy.

This option only applies if you have already paid for your First Day Book charges or if you have a payment option in place. To submit an opt-out request:

  1. Log into Blackboard
  2. Go to the course’s page
  3. Go to the Course Materials section link in the course menu
  4. Submit your opt-out request for the materials in the course

Please note that when you opt out of Open Books Plus, you will not have access to the course materials through Blackboard. You will need to visit the bookstore to buy your materials. This could result in a higher cost to you and a delay in obtaining course materials.

  • Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies
  • Associate of Science Degree in General Studies
  • Associate of Arts Transfer Degree in Business 

Yes! Your Open Books materials are digital content and are available through your Blackboard account, so you can access them anywhere you have internet access. If you do not have access to a computer, visit one of our computer labs. 

 

Course materials are provided electronically for Open Books courses, but you can still get printed materials.
  • Open Books Courses: You can buy a copy from the campus Print / Mail Center for $0.02 per page.
  • Open Books Plus Courses:
    • If you opt-out of the fee before the scheduled opt-out deadline, you may buy printed materials from the campus bookstore.
    • If you stay enrolled in the Open Books Plus option but want a paper copy of the materials, you can buy printed copies from the campus bookstore after the scheduled opt-out deadline.

When you enroll in an Open Books Plus course, you will be given an account with the publisher that will provide you access to the course materials in Blackboard. 
 
If you are having trouble accessing the content, contact your instructor. For any additional assistance, contact a San Jac bookstore.

 

Find Us

 

Central Campus

Building C-14
8060 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, TX 77505
281-476-1898
Rosie Robinson, Manager
Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

North Campus

Building N-12
5800 Uvalde Road, Houston, TX 77049
281-459-7111
Jack Higgins, Manager
Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

South Campus

Building S-11
13735 Beamer Road, Houston, TX 77089
281-922-3410
Samantha Nguyen, Manager
Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.