Faculty Requisitions and FAQs

Digital and Physical Course Material Requests

This page is intended for SFU Faculty and Staff that are teaching classes that require the ordering of physical/digital course materials. SFU Bookstore uses Verba Collect (a textbook requisition management system) to collect and manage textbook requisitions to order course materials for the upcoming term.

How to submit your textbook adoptions:

  1. Login with your credentials at https://sfu.verbacollect.com/ (please bookmark this link).  If you are new to SFU, welcome! Please email textbook@sfu.ca to obtain your login information and user access, with "New Verba User Account" in the subject line & what course/section you will be teaching.  Please note: This is not related to your computing ID, nor will we ever ask for your computing ID information!
  2. Select your course SIMS does not automatically push data to Verba Collect.  When we open the new Verba term one month prior to the textbook requisition deadline, we sync Verba with SIMS once, and once only (one month before the deadline).  If you do not see your course, please contact textbook@sfu.ca .  We will be happy to manually add/update course information for you in Verba Collect, so that you can submit your textbook requisitions on time.
  3. To ensure that course materials are available at the start of classes, please submit your requisitions by these deadlines:
                        Adoption Submission Deadlines
    Term Open Date Due Date
    Fall early May May 31st
    Spring early Sept Sept 30th
    Summer early January January 31st
                        Course Pack Submission Deadlines
    Term Due Date  
    Fall June 30th  
    Spring October 30th  
    Summer February 28th  

        Thank you in advance for your support to get your physical & digital adoptions to us on time. Have a safe semester and we                   look forward to working with you.

Looking for extra assistance?

Please view these videos on Verba Collect for instructors:

1. Getting Started: Course & Section Select
 
2. Copying from other adoptions
 
3. Adding materials manually
 
4. Submitting your adoption

 

 Frequently Asked Questions

Will the Bookstore be selling print course materials?

We are not able to order and process physical textbooks at pre-pandemic volumes and comply with health and safety regulations. We also monitor student buying patterns, as well as listen to Faculty/Staff input to order accordingly.  If there is a digital option available, in general, the Bookstore will not be ordering physical copies of the same title.  However, as we navigate towards future terms, we will be ordering more and more limited quantities of physical textbooks as student demand increases.    

I don't see my course, what do I do?

Continuing Studies, FIC and other non-credit courses that are not a part of SIMS/SIS are added manually into Verba upon email request. SIMS does not automatically push data to the Bookstore system. Newly added courses, opened up sections, and cancelled courses, need to be manually changed in Verba.  Please advise us when you make course updates in SIMS.

Are there any other sources for course materials?

In addition to VitalSource, please click the links below for additional resources:

What if I find a digital option for my textbook on RedShelf or Kobo?

We have worked with VitalSource and Campus eBookstore to ensure access for all of our students, regardless of their geographical location. Kobo & Redshelf have limitations for access outside of North America, and we strongly encourage you to choose VitalSource or Campus eBookstore as a digital option, as there may be potential privacy issues for students as well.

The publisher has given me a link to their website. Can I just post this for my students?

If possible, please notify the Bookstore so we can ask the publisher to use one of our preferred vendors. The Bookstore is not able to provide additional support to students if they encounter any issues with the publishers.

How do I obtain a desk copy for my course?

Please contact publishers directly for physical and electronic desk copies.  Each publisher has their own criteria for desk copies.  Some publishers only have fillable online web forms as well.  Please email textbook@sfu.ca if you require further assistance.

What if I have questions about creating coursepacks?

Course Pack Submission Deadlines

Fall June 30th
Spring October 30th
Summer February 28th
 

 

 

Please find additional information regarding copyright by clicking here. You can submit coursepack requests  to coursematerials_coordinator@sfu.ca.

What if I have changes/late submissions?

If you have any changes regarding your course material adoptions after they are submitted, reviewed and approved in Verba (course cancellations, dropping a textbook, deciding not to use it after the fact, etc.), please contact us right away at textbook@sfu.ca. Any changes made after physical textbooks have shipped to the Bookstore, may incur additional administrative costs such as one-way outbound return shipping charges back to the Publisher at the Department's expense.  

Alternatively, we understand that late submissions happen.  If you have a late submission (newly hired sessionals, new sections added, additional textbook to use, etc.) after our adoption deadline, it will be placed on an Internal Rush (ie. we will drop everything and work on your textbook orders as a priority).  Also, If you wish to have an External Rush (ie. provide a Departmental Charge Account Number to pay for expedited shipping from the Publisher), we can accommodate this request as well. This would apply for physical books, not digital eBooks.

Where and when can my students purchase their upcoming term's course materials?

Students can login here and get their personalized course materials page to purchase their upcoming term's course materials one month prior to the course start date.