Paying for textbooks and course materials
We accept the following methods of payment:
- Cash
- Interac/Debit
- VISA
- MASTERCARD
- American Express
- Bookstore Gift Card
- Camosun College Gift Card
- Sponsorship
- Travellers Cheques
I thought we couldn't use our credit cards at Camosun from January 1, 2010?
That applies to domestic tuition, not to the Bookstore. Details...
Avoiding long lineups
The first 3 days of term generally have the longest lineups at the Bookstore, particularly from mid-morning to late afternoon. Generally we have no significant lineups after the third day.
No one likes standing in line, so may we recommend the following:
- Choose a Better Day—Come to the bookstore before the beginning of term. This year fall term doesn't start until September 7, so come in early! You should be able to get your books and course materials without long lineups. We have nearly all of the required course materials on our shelves one month before the beginning of term.
- Choose a Better Time—If you want to buy your books on the first three days of term, don't line up at the busiest times of the day. We are open until 7pm on the first three days of term, so pick a time that works for you!
Where the new textbook dollar goes
- 75.9¢ Textbook Wholesale Cost
Publisher’s paper, printing, editorial, general and administrative costs; marketing costs and publisher’s income. Also includes author income. - 11.1¢ College Store Personnel
Store employee salaries and benefits to handle ordering, receiving, pricing, shelving, cashiers, customer service, refund desk, and sending extra textbooks back to the publisher - 5.7¢ College Store Operations
Insurance, utilities, building and equipment rent and maintenance, accounting and data processing charges and other overhead paid by college stores. - 1¢ Freight Expense
The cost of getting books from the publisher’s warehouse or bindery to the college store. Part of cost of goods sold paid to freight company. - 6.3¢ (Pre-tax) College Store Income
*College store numbers are averages and reflect the most current data gathered by the National Association of College Stores. © 2009
Where does the profit go?
- The Bookstore makes a very modest margin on our textbooks, 25% on books costing under $100, 20% on books costing more than $100; these margins are among the lowest in Canada, despite the fact that we incur more freight charges than those on the mainland or further East.
- In addition, any profit the Bookstore makes is returned to the College, to help pay for programs and student services.
- The Bookstore also:
- donates products to campus-wide initiatives that support the academic mission of the College
- sponsors student bursaries
- is available for student projects in relevant fields such as marketing research, systems analysis, business studies, etc.
- hires students via the Human Resources Department - look for the ads!
The Bookstore serves students, staff, faculty, and the public by stocking all the required textbooks and supplementary materials for courses offered through the College and a wide range of general book titles. The Bookstore also offers a variety of extras for the Camosun community.
Sponsorship funding
If your sponsorship funding includes textbooks, the Bookstore requires a completed and authorized Sponsorship Verification - Individual form (pdf 51kB) and/or Sponsorship Verification - Group listing form (pdf 80kB) which must be submitted directly to the Bookstore at least 2 weeks prior to the start of your classes.