Textbook Information
Textbook information can be found in Course Search & Enroll and the Courses widget in MyUW once professors and instructors provide it.
Some professors and instructors choose not to include textbook information but instead may email enrolled students a syllabus or other class materials before class.
For Students
Buying Textbooks and Course Materials
Textbooks are available at a variety of locations on and around campus, including numerous bookstores.
As a student, you may also be required to purchase course packets, lab equipment, and/or art materials. These items are available at campus or local stores.
Textbooks can be expensive, and some cost-saving alternatives are available. You should be sure to purchase the correct textbook edition. The International Standard Book Number (ISBN), the 10 or 13-digit number that uniquely identifies books published internationally, is included in the textbooks listings if the instructor has provided it.
eTexts and other digital course materials are becoming more and more available to students for a fraction of the cost of printed materials. Read more about Engage eTexts.
Local Bookstores
Textbooks are available from an array of local bookstores. The University of Wisconsin–Madison has no affiliation with any particular bookstore. You are encouraged to check a variety of bookstores for price and availability.
The bookstores listed are provided solely as examples.
State Street
711 State Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 257-3784 ext. 5907
Health Sciences
Health Sciences Learning Center (next to the UW Hospital parking ramp)
750 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 663-2665
2717 Atwood Avenue
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 257-7888
Alternatives to Buying New Textbooks
- Look early for used copies. Check local bookstores that buy back textbooks.
- Borrow from a campus library.
- Campus libraries have copies of many course texts available for short-term loan (including high-cost textbooks funded with support from the UW Foundation Parent Fund).
- Visit the libraries’ website for details.
- Consider renting through a local bookstore or online textbook rental website.
- Consider purchasing textbooks online.
- Consider using online textbooks or ebooks.
- For students who own iPads, Kindles or other tablet devices, textbooks may be purchased and/or rented at a lower price than printed copies.
*Note: Independent websites and/or stores for purchasing and/or renting textbooks are private companies and are not affiliated with or endorsed by UW–Madison.
For Faculty and Staff
As an instructor, you can enter textbook information in Faculty Center — including textbooks, materials, special instructions, and website links. Once you submit this information, students will be able to see it in Course Search & Enroll, helping the university comply with textbook-related requirements of the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act.
All bookstores can retrieve the textbook information entered by instructors, as well as current enrollment and capacity levels. If you prefer to send a book list to a local bookstore, you should still record textbook information via Faculty Center so it will be available to students.
Review the tips below for ways to help make textbooks more affordable and accessible for students.
Provide Information Early
To reduce textbook costs for students and to support students who need accessible/alternative formats, you should enter textbook information as soon as it becomes available.
Use UW Library Reserves
You can also notify UW Libraries if you are interested in having items on reserve for students. Additional information is available on the UW Libraries’ website.
Consider eTexts
eTexts and other digital course materials are becoming more and more available to students for a fraction of the cost of printed materials. Read more about Engage eTexts.
For Bookstores
The federal government’s Higher Education Opportunity Act, as reauthorized in 2008, states that institutions are required to disclose the ISBN and the retail price information of textbooks required on the institution’s course schedule. It further requires the institution to provide “its college bookstore” with the information on the textbooks that are required at the institution. UW–Madison does not have its “own bookstore,” but by providing the information in a public space, it will be available to any bookstore.
UW–Madison provides several data files that those working for bookstores can use to provide course materials for students.
To download the data files, click the button(s) for the appropriate term(s) and download the .CSV file(s) from Box.
Textbook data is refreshed every two hours on weekdays at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 a.m./p.m. and at 12 noon. On Saturdays and Sundays, the textbook data is refreshed every six hours at 5 a.m./p.m. and 11 a.m./p.m.
How to Use the Data Files
Use of data obtained from the textbook semester file is limited to that identified on this page. Instructors may initially provide information and make updates at various times. The data file is refreshed periodically. Textbook files contain all active sections for a semester or term, including notation as to finalized and un-finalized textbook data. Un-finalized textbook data, noted by an “N” in the display column, is neither final nor ready for display to students and the general public. Bookstores may use un-finalized textbook data to advise and conduct research on behalf of an instructor.
Important: Textbook and material listings are subject to change at any time for any reason! The University is not responsible for user decisions based on the data or the result or impact of any listing changes on user decisions. Users of this data are expected to review the data dictionary and to verify textbook and material listings prior to use and final selections.
Download the Data by Term
The files below contain all active sections for a term and finalized and un-finalized textbook data. Un-finalized textbook data will have an ‘N’ in the Display column, which means the textbook is not currently displaying to students, staff, faculty or the public.
Library-Reserve Textbooks
These .CSV files list the textbooks that instructors have requested to be put on reserve. The files contain finalized and unfinalized textbook data. Unfinalized textbook data will have an ‘N’ in the Display column, which means the textbook is not currently displaying to students, staff, faculty or the public in Course Guide or in Class Search.